The Way They Are
by silly'sbarka
Summary: Hiccup and the gang have been asked by Dumbledore to help out with the first task. Its not what they want to do, but Hiccup knows the alternative is worse. Hiccup meets the young champions, and is forced to specifically train one dragon... Can he do it though?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**I do not own either How To Train Your Dragon or Harry Potter and all respective rights are to their owners.

Hiccup and his fellow Viking friends had been asked by a very important man to help out with their competition. Unfortunately for Hiccup, he wasn't allowed to go alone. His father, Stoic, refused to allow a bunch of fifteen year olds to head to a school for wizards without supervision. Because of this, Gobber, the resident blacksmith, was going to accompany them. He was Stoic's best friend and the teacher of young. Well, used to be. Now Hiccup was.

The Vikings were headed towards Hogwarts, a magical school for witches and wizards. They'd never heard of wizards or Hogwarts until they'd been approached by Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster himself, and asked to help out with their Triwizard Tournament. Hiccup had refused his proposal but Dumbledore had been...persuasive. Hiccup wasn't very proud of giving in. He didn't like Dumbledore; none of the Vikings did. But they were allowed to bring their dragons and that was something Hiccup wouldn't let Dumbledore talk him out of. The man wanted the teens, he would have to deal with the dragons. They were a package deal.

Hiccup and Toothless were almost ready to leave. The headmaster had explained that he had charmed one of their ships to take the Vikings straight towards the castle when they were ready. Hiccup was glad that Toothless was going. They were best friends, and Hiccup wouldn't be able to handle a bunch of wizards and a man he didn't trust without his dragon. The Night Fury relied heavily on Hiccup too, but only to fly. He adored Hiccup and would protect the boy with his life.

Stoic walked out of his house to find Hiccup standing at the door with his dragon. The older man walked over to his son and placed his large hand on Hiccup's thin shoulder. Hiccup jumped and looked up, his heart slowing as he saw who it was. His father always did have a way of scaring him.

"Good luck, son." Stoic said, his thick accent making his words lower and harsher than Hiccup knew he intended them to be. "I'm sorry that I can't go with you."

Hiccup nodded. He followed Stoic's eyes towards Gobber, who was singing and plucking a tooth out of a Zippleback mouth. He snickered before turning back to his father. Stoic was the chief of the tribe, yet he never acted like he was above anyone. He was just another Viking. Hiccup didn't think that he could ever be like his father but there was still time to learn. Stoic wasn't going anywhere.

"I know, your chief-ing duties prevent you from leaving the village for too long. I know, dad," Hiccup rolled his eyes. He'd listened to his father's worries and constant apologies ever since Dumbledore's visit. But that was Stoic. And Stoic was protective. After all, his only son was a clumsy twig that rode _dragons_ all day. Not to mention the whole one legged thing.

Stoic nodded and hugged his only son. "You come back safely. And show those wizards what happens when they mess with Vikings," he smirked. Hiccup rolled his eyes and hugged his father back.

Once Stoic let go of him, Hiccup smiled and turned to face his dragon. Toothless grumbled and gestured his scaly head towards the ship. Hiccup noticed that the others were already boarding and packing their things in the chests. Hiccup nodded at Toothless, who instantly dashed towards the ship.

Hiccup followed behind the Night Fury, sending one last wave towards Stoic before jumping off the pier and onto the ship. Gobber followed quickly and the ship instantly set sail. Hiccup swayed and almost lost his balance before Toothless appeared and supported the boy.

The rest of the group were sitting on crates, making sure that their dragons didn't start fights and accidently burn the ship down. While Toothless was his _best_ friend, the group accompanying him on the journey were close to him as well. There was Astrid, who was a strong girl with a lethal attitude. Her dragon was a deadly Deadly Nadder named Stormfly; a tall girl with blue and purple scales. She could shoot spines from her tail at will and was extremely loyal, despite not being the kindest of creatures.

Snotlout was Hiccup's cousin, and had a very good opinion of himself. Hiccup didn't like him very much but he was still his friend. Snotlout's dragon was a Monstrous Nightmare called Hookfang. A long and fierce dragon which could light his body on fire whenever he felt necessary.

The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, were extremely stupid. Hiccup found them annoying, with their insatiable need to destroy things. Their dragon, a Hideous Zippleback, suited them perfectly with Ruffnut's head, Barf, shooting out the gas, and Tuffnut's head, Belch, lighting it with a spark.

The last was Fishlegs. He was the smart one. The one who read the book of dragons over ten times and knew everything about all the dragons. Except for the Night Fury but that was only because there wasn't anything in the Book of Dragons about them. His Gronkle, Meatlug, was very sensitive just like his owner. Hiccup found their relationship slightly odd but he never said anything.

Hiccup settled down on the floor of the boat and lent up against Toothless. The dragon curled against the edge of the boat and lay his head near Hiccup's. The two closed their eyes and started to drift off. They knew it would take some time to get to the school and they had woken up early to get a last fly in before leaving so it wasn't long until the pair were fast asleep.

* * *

Harry couldn't believe what was happening. Not only was the Triwizard Tournament taking place this year, it was being held at Hogwarts! That meant he would have a shot at entering. Then again, there were hundreds of other wizards who would also be entering which would make his chances slimmer. Still, Harry thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a go.

Harry was sitting at the breakfast table when the news came; the students from the other schools were here. The Durmstrung boys and the Beauxbaton girls.

The Great Hall was alive with excitement at the arrival of the other students. Harry was excited too, but his nerves were also prominent. What sorts of things had they heard about him? Being the 'famous Harry Potter' that he was. Did that mean that they wouldn't like him? Maybe they didn't even know who he was and Harry was just overreacting. He pushed his questions to the back of his mind and focused on his friends.

Hermione and Ron were chatting excitedly next to him. They hadn't noticed Harry's nerves and they shouldn't have had to. Harry should have been calm. There wasn't anything to be nervous about. Filch had only just come to notify Dumbledore of the arrivals. They hadn't even come through the doors yet.

Just as the thought passed through Harry's head, the doors of the Great Hall opened and the French girls from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic walked through. Well, they danced and did some acrobatics through the long lines of tables towards the front where they seated themselves at the Ravenclaw table.

As soon as the Beauxbatons were through, the Durmstrang boys entered. They were stronger than the Beauxbatons girls. Fiercer. Harry watched their movements with awe. Flame throwing and all. It was incredibly impressive. He noticed Viktor Krum, one of the best seekers in the Quidditch world, and was star struck for a moment. Viktor Krum. At Hogwarts. Yeah, he didn't need to worry about people looking at him now.

* * *

Hiccup opened his eyes to someone poking him and groaned in response. He heard a low growl and opened his eyes groggily. He looked up to see Toothless laying a protective wing around Hiccup and Astrid poking Hiccup with a stick. She wouldn't poke him with her hand with Toothless around. She didn't have a death wish.

Toothless lifted his wing and nudged Hiccup gently. Hiccup smiled and rubbed behind the dragons ears. He grumbled and made a few sounds of agreement. Hiccup didn't need to speak dragon to know that his own was happy with what he was doing.

Hiccup stood up and stretched, almost losing his balance as the water rocked the boat slightly. Toothless caught the Viking's fall and Hiccup thanked him. Toothless shook it off and approached Astrid angrily. She jumped away and behind Stormfly. Toothless looked as though he would smirk if he could, and looked over the side of the boat.

Toothless pulled back instantly and made a sound of disapproval. Hiccup quickly looked around his surroundings. They had arrived, he knew that much. But how were they going to get ashore? They were sitting in the middle of a lake with the school – was that what that large castle like structure was? – on one side and a forest on the other. Hiccup contemplated flying the dragons to land before remembering Dumbledore's words. So, no dragons.

Astrid walked over to Hiccup. She would be safer now that Hiccup could hold off Toothless; they didn't get along too well but Hiccup was happy to be the peacekeeper when he needed to be. Sometimes Astrid needed to put in her place. Well, Hiccup thought she did.

"So, how are we getting ashore?" Astrid asked, voicing Hiccup's previous thoughts.

Hiccup looked at the sails. "Well, the Viking way," he said matter-of-factly.

Gobber instantly raised his false hand and toasted to it. Hiccup rolled his eyes and the other teens snickered. Snotlout made a soft comment which Hiccup didn't quite catch. Without a second to lose, Gobber instructed the teens to get to work. Hiccup wobbled about on the boat and finally Gobber refused Hiccup's help. There wasn't much point if he was just going to fall over every second. Hiccup sat on the side and held Toothless's head in his hands.

He watched as the boat rocked closer to shore when the wind caught the sails. The other dragons were perched on the sides of the boat and made croaking sounds as they approached the stone building. Hiccup was shocked by how large the castle was. It was more than three times their Great Hall which was the largest building the Viking's had.

Hiccup lurched with the boat as it came to a stop at the docks. Toothless made a grumbling sound which resembled a laugh. Hiccup glared playfully at the dragon and stood back up. Gobber turned to the group before they left the boat.

"As you are aware, we are here because these...wizards...asked us to. They have asked for us to not let our dragons loose," Gobber announced.

Hiccup glanced at Toothless warily. Would he be able to hide the dragon? Toothless went nearly everywhere with him. It was hard to separate them for more than three minutes.

Gobber noticed Hiccup's worried glance and sighed. "For now, at least. After the feast tonight, we shall ask Dumbledore what to do with the dragons. They can't all stay on a wooden boat in the ocean. Especially not Toothless."

Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief at the words. Toothless grumbled unhappily. He knew that he would have to stay there for the time being. Hiccup leant down and gave the dragon a scratch behind the ears and under his chin. "You stay here, bud. These wizards…I don't know what they would do to you if they found out. I can't lose you," he murmured.

Toothless licked Hiccup's face and Hiccup laughed and stood up. "Toothless! You know that doesn't wash out...," he said. Toothless gurgled and made some sounds to which Hiccup knew were laughing. The two finally separated and Hiccup heard the pining that came from his dragon. He turned back and waved sadly. At least, Toothless would be safe on the boat.

Hiccup joined his fellow Vikings and they headed towards the school. Hiccup glanced back constantly to make sure that the dragon was still on the boat. With the approaching darkness, it became increasingly difficult to see the near black dragon but he could see the silhouette of him standing patiently for Hiccup to return.

The group entered the Great Hall and were surprised at what they walked into. Not only was everyone looking at them, it seemed as though they had been waiting for a while. There were four long tables filled with various students. Hiccup stood behind Astrid and Fishlegs. Being the centre of attention wasn't something he enjoyed. He almost wished he'd covered his lost leg.

Gobber moved forward. Hiccup didn't know how the blacksmith knew what to do. Did Dumbledore speak to him personally? It wasn't likely; he had barely spoken to Hiccup outside of a few harsh words. Hiccup still hated him for them.

The people on the tables were dead quiet and Hiccup paled as they followed behind Gobber. They were getting dangerously close to the long table at the front. The one where Dumbledore sat. Hiccup found his courage resurfacing and glared at the headmaster. He would not get away with what he did to get them here.

Astrid placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and he looked at her. She smiled sadly. He'd told her what Dumbledore had threatened to do to get them here. She wasn't impressed either. None of the group had been. Not even Gobber, and he didn't even _have_ his own dragon.

The group stopped at the end of the long vertical tables and in front of the horizontal one. The headmaster stood and walked towards the Vikings. He looked over their heads and towards the students. Upon further inspection, Hiccup noticed that there were two other groups amongst them that were made visible because of the different uniforms. The girls were wearing light blue and the boys wearing black and red.

Dumbledore stepped forward and nodded his head towards Gobber. Gobber himself bowed. But Hiccup could see that it was forced. The niceties were running thin between the groups of Vikings and the headmaster. No one threatened the lives of the dragons and gets away with it.

"Welcome, welcome everyone. This year will surely be the strangest of years for many of you. We have the Triwizard Tournament, as many of you already know. And here to assist in the preparation, are these young Vikings from Berk," Dumbledore announced.

Hiccup groaned and looked at Astrid. The way he said it was as though they had _wanted_ to go. But that wasn't the case. The rest of the Viking teens showed their distaste for the older man's words too, but the students of the school clapped and cheered, welcoming the group to their school.

Dumbledore looked between Gobber and Hiccup, as though deciding which one to talk to. Finally, he said to both of them, "One of you must sit up at the teachers table. I know that young Hiccup here is the leader, but it would be preferable for Gobber here."

Hiccup laughed and it wasn't a pleasant sound. Dumbledore hardly noticed it. Hiccup shoved Gobber forward. "You go. We're going to sit down. Before something happens" he said lowly. Gobber nodded and stepped up and following Dumbledore to his seat at the head table.

Hiccup's group found a seat at the table towards the centre left. It was a gold and red table. There was a small section completely cleared, which they quickly occupied. The people around them shuffled down once the Vikings were seated, as though they had been cramped and weren't anymore.

Dumbledore announced the feast could now begin and the students dove into their foods hungrily. Hiccup and his friends exchanged glances from across the table. Hiccup sat next to Astrid, the twins opposite them, with Fishlegs next to Astrid and Snotlout on the other side. There were students seated on either side of them. Hiccup almost felt caged.

The Vikings served themselves some familiar looking foods and started to eat. Hiccup stuffed some cooked fish into his pockets for Toothless. He knew his dragon would love the fish. Hiccup's friends mostly ate bread and meat, but Hiccup preferred the fish.

The students around the Vikings didn't pay much attention to them until after the meal. One person next to Hiccup turned around and gave Hiccup a glance. He had untidy black hair, circular glasses and a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. It looked strange but Hiccup knew that it was something that this boy wasn't ashamed of. Just as Hiccup wasn't ashamed of his metal leg.

"Hello, I'm Harry," the boy introduced himself, holding out his hand.

Hiccup took it and announced his own name. "Hiccup."

People around Hiccup snickered. Hiccup rolled his eyes. Of course. Hiccup was the name given to the smallest of the litter. Everyone knew that. Hiccup was the third Viking with the name but the first in a long line of chiefs. He didn't consider his name a dishonour of any sort, but Hiccup knew his dad hadn't thought he was anything special. That is, until he trained a Night Fury.

Harry nodded and gestured towards his friends. Among them was a bushy haired girl with the same robes as Harry, scarlet and gold. Another was a red headed, short boy who looked a little clumsy. Hiccup reminded himself that he looked a bit puny, too. Without the red hair and freckles, though.

"This is Hermione and Ron," he gestured first to the girl and then to the boy. Hiccup and his friends waved to them. Harry waited for Hiccup to introduce his own friends.

"This is Astrid," Hiccup started. Astrid waved her hand and almost hit Hiccup in the head. She laughed and swatted his shoulder when he sent her a glare. "Fishlegs." He pointed to the larger boy at the end of their group. Fishlegs waved and Astrid scooted closer to Hiccup, trying to get away from Fishlegs's flailing hand. Hiccup rolled his eyes. "The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut." The twins were fighting over something, and Hiccup heard a reference to their dragon. He rolled his eyes once more and looked at Snotlout. "And that's Snotlout. He's not one to mess with," Hiccup added. The Viking glared playfully at Hiccup and threw some chicken at him. Hiccup dodged and it landed on the floor.

Harry laughed and nodded. "Yeah, well. We have a whole house which you need to avoid," he said. Hiccup gave him a confused look. Harry pointed to the table next to them against the wall as he said, "That's Slytherin. We avoid them. Gryffindor – that's us – and Slytherin don't get along very well."

Hiccup wondered what kind of feud that these people had. Surely it wasn't anything like what the situation was with the Outcasts and the people of Berk. Hiccup doubted anything could be like that.

As the Vikings began a conversation with Harry and his friends, Hiccup couldn't help but thinking about his best friend. What was Toothless doing right now? His mind kept drifting to the worst scenario. He knew Toothless would do the right thing and stay inside the boat. He was a smart dragon and he'd been charged with the safety of the other dragons too so he wouldn't do anything stupid. Hiccup relaxed slightly.

"So, what are you guys doing here? It seems like a long way from your home," Hermione asked suddenly.

Hiccup glanced at Astrid, to whom the question was directed to. She shrugged and glanced at Hiccup before replying, "Dumbledore didn't specify. But I know that it has something to do with your Tournament."

Hermione gasped. "You mean you're entering?" she asked excitedly.

Hiccup shook his head at Astrid. She glared at him slightly. "No. but other than that, we don't know," she explained.

Hermione nodded slowly. She didn't seem to understand. To be honest, Hiccup didn't quite understand why they were there either. He knew that it had something to do with one of the tasks included in the Tournament but other than that, no idea. It must be related to dragons though, otherwise they would have gotten someone else. So that narrowed it down a little bit.

The dinner came to an end and the teachers left the room. Gobber re-joined the Vikings and they stood up together. Instantly, Hiccup felt all eyes on them. They were the first to stand, and apparently there was something against that. Hiccup to another look around and noticed the glances weren't on him exactly, but on his leg.

Suddenly, a thin, white haired boy from Slytherin stood up and laughed as he walked towards Hiccup and his friends. Harry groaned inwardly and Hiccup raised his eyebrows. Apparently this was one to watch out for, he thought.

"Wow, look at the Vikings. They don't even have enough medicine to heal a leg," the boy snickered. Hiccup took in the his appearance. A blonde, almost white mop of hair sat atop his pale head. His eyes were dead cold. He was tall, but Astrid was taller. The boy seemed cruel but Hiccup knew that if worst came to worst, this guy wouldn't stand a chance against Toothless.

Astrid pushed her sleeves up and started to step forward. Hiccup hastily put his hand on her arm. She glanced at him before glaring at the guy.

Harry stood up quickly and in front of Hiccup. "That's enough, Malfoy," he snapped.

Hiccup noticed Malfoy smirk. "Need to be protected by others, eh, Hiccup? You really _are_ a hiccup," he chuckled, his smirk still in place, infuriating Hiccup further.

Hiccup glanced at Astrid and spoke to her in their native language, Norse. Something so ancient that none of these people would be able to understand. They couldn't catch any of the words anyway, because of how quietly the pair were speaking.

Snotlout laughed at Malfoy. "You don't know Hiccup then," he snickered. Malfoy didn't seem to like Snotlout. Yet, Hiccup thought, they weren't really that different.

Hiccup stood up straighter and moved his metal leg, the sound resonating through the hall loudly. "Look, _Malfoy_, my name might be Hiccup, but at least I don't look like I'm dead," he snapped.

The hall went silent. Hiccup was fuming. How dare someone make fun of his metal leg? He was known throughout the village for it. He'd killed the Red Death. Toothless had saved Hiccup and in the process bitten off Hiccup's leg. He was proud of it. It connected him to his dragon.

Astrid pushed Hiccup away and towards the door. Malfoy snickered. "What, getting your girlfriend to stop you from fighting? She's probably weaker than you anyway," he smirked.

Hiccup went red. He turned around and was about to comment, to say something _witty_, but Astrid stopped him.

"It's not worth it, Hiccup," she warned.

Hiccup shook his head and sighed, knowing that she was right. Instead, he turned around and glared directly into Malfoy's eyes. That always got to people. "You say that now, Malfoy. Yet you know nothing of the Viking ways, nor do you know anything about me. Who knows, maybe I got this leg chopped off during battle...but I'm _way_ too skilled for _that_ to happen," he smirked, turning back around. He didn't want to brag about how he'd gotten the leg. He had just wanted to point out that he could be dangerous. And if worst came to worst, he could always just use the leg as a weapon.

Hiccup stormed off, the other Vikings following him closely. Once they were outside of the hall, Hiccup let out a heavy breath. "How dare he say those things about me!" he fumed.

Astrid put her hand on his shoulder gently. "It's alright, Hiccup. What he doesn't know is that you saved our village. You united us. I bet that idiot's done nothing more than say a few nasty things here and there," she said. Hiccup smiled at her. She knocked him over the head and dragged him back towards the boat.

When they reached got closer, Toothless growled loudly and an ear-splitting screech followed. Hiccup rolled his eyes and called to Toothless. The dragon leapt over the boat and onto the pier, quickly running towards Hiccup and knocking him over. The dark dragon picked up Hiccup and placed him gently onto his back. Hiccup laughed and rubbed his neck.

The other Vikings called to their dragons as well and they soon stood beside the Vikings. Gobber didn't have one of his own yet, but he still liked their presence. If the situation deemed it necessary, he flew on Hookfang or Stormfly. Suddenly, Toothless growled and Hiccup followed the dragon's gaze.

Dumbledore was heading towards the Vikings with two teachers behind him. Hiccup recognised them from the staff table in the Great Hall. One was the potions master, the other transfigurations. At least, that's what Hiccup remembered.

"I take it you will not be staying in your wooden boat?" Dumbledore asked.

Hiccup stiffly shook his head. "No," he gritted out. Toothless bared his teeth and growled loudly. Dumbledore didn't seem to care, but the two other teachers took a wary step back. Hiccup thought it was quite clever of them to do so. This headmaster, on the other hand, didn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed.

Gobber stepped forward and between the angry dragon and the headmaster. "Well, we can't very well have a bunch of fire breathing dragons on a boat in the middle of a lake, now can we?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at Gobber. Toothless looked up at Hiccup and then back to Dumbledore. He didn't like it when his rider was upset.

"There is some space in the Gryffindor tower, at the very top. You would have to keep your dragons up there unless you are taking them to the Forbidden Forest," Dumbledore explained.

The female teacher stepped forward before Hiccup could say anything. "If you would like to follow me?" she asked politely. Toothless stopped growling when he realised that she was kinder than the headmaster.

Hiccup looked at Dumbledore before they left and asked, "When will be finding out the purpose of our visit?" he asked stiffly.

Dumbledore looked towards the forest. "Well, the dragons should be here within the hour. So get settled soon and we shall get started. Meet us in the Forbidden Forest in two hours."

Hiccup nodded slowly and they followed the transfiguration teacher. She talked to Gobber the whole way to the top of the tower, their conversation light and polite. Hiccup had to ride on Toothless up the stairs, because his leg was starting to cause him grief. Toothless didn't mind; his rider was so light that it almost didn't affect him.

After a few minutes, they reached the top of the stairs. The professor opened a large wooden door and revealed a warm, red and gold common room. There were no people around but the room had multiple armchairs and small couches. Tables lined the corners and a fireplace sat next to the door. There was a flight of stairs at the other end of the room, splitting into two directions.

"This will be your room for the time being. Rooms on the left are for men, girls on the right. Breakfast and all other meals are served in the Great Hall. Your seats are reserved as they were today," the Professor explained before nodding at them once and heading out the door.

Hiccup headed towards the rooms in which he found multiple bunk beds. He didn't like them. They felt all soft and wrong and there was no place for Toothless to sleep comfortably. The other Vikings, however, had no problem with the new room. Snotlout and Tuffnut fought over the top bed and their dragons had room next door. Barf and Belch went on the girl's side, with Meatlug and Stormfly, only because Ruffnut had won the rights to have him over there.

Hiccup sighed and made his way back to the common room. There was a nice spot by the fire which Toothless instantly leapt over to. Hiccup followed him and leant against Toothless' back. He sighed and watched his dragon drift into a peaceful sleep. Hiccup wouldn't bring Toothless to meet the other dragons. He would be too protective and he didn't want Toothless getting hurt.

Astrid and Ruffnut walked back into the common room and Astrid smirked knowingly. "Can't find a bed to your liking?" she asked while maintaining her knowing expression.

Hiccup nodded and sighed. "There wasn't any space for Toothless either, it's not just me. But we have to make do out here." Toothless would sleep wherever Hiccup was, and it worked the other way around too. There was no way that Hiccup was going let Toothless sleep somewhere else. They were safer together.

Gobber came back down from his own room singing happy tunes. Hiccup sent him an odd glance. "You alright, Gobber?" he teased.

Gobber laughed and sat on the couch. "Never better. Well, yeah, I have been better, but you know what I mean." Hiccup sent him a look telling him to explain. "Oh. Well, I was listening to the Headmaster talk to Hagrid. He's a half giant. Hard to miss. He's the keeper of magical creatures and such. They were talking about the first task. You'll never believe what it is."

Astrid looked at Hiccup. "Dragons?" he asked. He guessed that because Dumbledore had said some were arriving later that evening and Hiccup didn't think that he meant their own dragons. So it must be for the first task. Hiccup wondered who would be competing for the Triwizard Tournament. Not that he cared very much, he just wanted to make sure that they didn't hurt the dragons.

Gobber nodded. "Yeah, that's it. But there are a few names I didn't recognise…and some I did," he added quickly, seeing the look Fishlegs was giving him.

Hiccup nodded. "Well, we'll just have to wait for a couple of hours to find out. In the meantime, I would like some time to myself," he muttered the last part. He wanted to draw the castle as he saw it. He loved to draw and he would be able to keep it and make sure that future generations knew what this school was like, should they ever need to know.

* * *

Harry kept thinking about the one legged Viking boy. He looked so young, yet he'd obviously been in battle. He seemed a lot stronger than Harry had expected. Malfoy hadn't managed to aggravate the boy until he'd started insulting the girl which was a whole other thing. Were Hiccup and Astrid together? Or were they just friends? Hogwarts had never actually had Vikings in school before. They were thought to be completely tough people who only cared about their own but Hiccup seemed to care about more than just himself and his friends.

Hermione, Ron and Harry were sitting in their common room and studying for an upcoming test. They were all pretty happy with it, Transfiguration was getting better for all of them. Hermione was by far the best of the three but Harry wasn't bothered. In fact, it was helpful; she gave them answers.

Harry perked his ears as he heard the sound of something heading up the tower. A couple of the Gryffindor's almost opened the doors, but the sounds disappeared before anyone could have a look. Harry thought it odd, because this was the only place in the Gryffindor tower which was worth going. Unless it was one of the new students or the Vikings staying in the spare rooms. That would make sense. It still didn't explain the louder sounds. The ones which sounded too heavy and loud to be human.

After the noises passed, the students headed to their rooms and got ready for bed. Harry followed Ron and his fellow roommates up to the dormitories. He got changed out of his robes and into something comfortable. They were all pretty tired and they would find out about the Triwizard Tournament later, hopefully tomorrow. Harry was pretty excited about that.

Harry took off his glasses and the world immediately became fuzzy. Just as he was about to pull the covers over his body, Ron struck up a conversation. "Hey, Harry, what did you think of those Vikings?"

Harry sat up and put his glasses back on. He glanced over at Ron, who was in the same position as him. "I don't know. It was cool though, that twig standing up to Malfoy," he admitted.

Ron nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. I'd never seen anybody stand up to him like that. Not even us. And we fight all the time," he remarked.

Harry nodded slowly, thinking. Yeah, what was with that? Was it something that Hiccup was used to? He seemed to look at Snotlout with a bit of aggravation. Maybe it was one of Hiccup's friends who treated him like Malfoy treated Harry? But it didn't make sense to be friends with someone that treated him like that.

"Well, they aren't here to enter the Tournament. What are they here for?" Harry wondered aloud.

Ron almost shouted as he had an idea, "Well, Vikings are known for their harshness and cruelty. Maybe they are here for the champions to fight or something."

Harry snickered. "Whoever has to fight Hiccup gets it lucky," he laughed. That boy was such a twig that taking down him would be a piece of cake. Although, Hiccup had already been in battle, that much was obvious. What was life like for Vikings, anyway?

Ron rolled his eyes. "Or maybe it's something else. Maybe they're here to distract the students. I mean, they are a pretty funny sight. Especially that Fishlegs," he remarked.

"Yeah, well. It's not like a guy his size could really help it. And besides, it seems as though its standard Viking size. Did you see the leader up on the teacher's table?"

Ron laughed. "Yeah, I suppose. Which makes it even funnier about Hiccup."

Harry shrugged. "I reckon he's quite nice. I mean, for a Viking," he quickly finished.

Ron gave him an odd look. "Yeah. I liked that Astrid. She was kind of...cute. In an 'I'm going to kill you' kind of way," he said.

Harry laughed and looked at Ron as though he had said the funniest thing ever. "You're kidding me, right? You like _Astrid_?"

Ron nodded slowly, not seeing what was so funny. Harry rolled his eyes. "She's already with Hiccup. I mean, even if they don't know it yet," Harry finished.

Ron rolled his eyes, seeing what was so funny. "Yeah, I could see that. I still think she's cute."

"Don't let Fleur catch you saying that," Harry smirked. Fleur was one of the girls from the Beauxbatons Academy who had come to stay. Ron had been infatuated with her the moment that she'd walked through the doors. Harry wasn't surprised. Ron was very easily taken with beautiful girls. The only problem was they very rarely liked him back.

Ron blushed and muttered a quick, "Goodnight, Harry." before pulling his bed curtains closed.

Harry laughed and took his glasses off once more. He lay down in his bed, turned out his light and stared up at the ceiling. Things would have to get better from now on. They had to. Harry couldn't keep living his life thinking that Voldemort was around the corner. He couldn't go on like that. Something needed to change.


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup and his friends were in the Forbidden forest on time. They found Hagrid's hut, he was a huge giant who led them towards the dragons. Hiccup wasn't surprised to see them all fussing. They were in cages - ones which prevented them from moving, and they had muzzles to stop them throwing fire everywhere, not that it worked very well.

It was a site Hiccup thought that he would never have to see again. The poor treatment of dragons wasn't something Hiccup was comfortable with. He was glad that Toothless had stayed back in the room, he didn't think that the dragon would take as kindly to this sort of treatment as Hiccup was, but saying that, Hiccup couldn't believe that these people were the best dragon keepers in the wizarding world. What did that say about the others? They just kept them on the verge of death or something?

The keepers, only three, walked over to the Vikings. Standing next to them was the headmaster and Hagrid, who had joined them after leading the Vikings there. The keepers seemed to notice the Vikings distaste for the way the dragons were caged, though they said nothing and Hiccup knew it was a smart move.

"These are the dragons which the champions will be facing." Dumbledore said pointedly.

Hiccup nodded. "How many champions are there?" he asked.

"Three. But there are more dragons so that we have spares and can also choose the best ones." Hiccup didn't like that. Spares. So if one died... he didn't want to think about that.

Dumbledore didn't notice Hiccup's anger. The other Vikings did however. "So what do you want us to do?"

This time it was the keepers who stepped forward. It was a tall man with orange hair and pale skin. He reminded Hiccup of Ron. "We are professionals, but we have heard that you don't even need magic to calm down the beasts." He said.

Hiccup shrugged. Gobber stepped forwards. "That doesn't explain what you need us to do. Because we can still refuse." Hiccup gasped. Gobber!

Dumbledore said nothing and Hiccup paled considerably. The keepers exchanged looks. "From what I have heard, you don't have a choice but to help us."

Astrid rolled up her sleeves and Hiccup held her back patiently. She glared at the keepers and headmaster equally. So, they weren't in her grace books. That wasn't such a good thing. For them.

"Well, it won't be necessary until after the champions are chosen, but we will need your help to keep these dragons calm." The orange headed Ron almost lookalike said.

Hiccup swallowed. "And how long will that be?" he asked nervously. He didn't want these dragons in the sole hands of the keepers for very long.

Dumbledore answered this time. "In two days. Don't worry, young Hiccup, the dragons are in very safe hands."

Hiccup didn't felt reassured. None of them did. Not even Gobber. In fact, Gobber felt the need to speak up. "Right. Well, when we come to help, if I find a single one of those dragons in these cages, I'm going to be very angry." He warned.

The keepers exchanged looks. "We can't change them." Ron lookalike said slowly.

Gobber laughed darkly. "Why not set them free? They're loyal, they'll stay with you." He said.

Ron Lookalike shook his head. "They are dangerous beasts which don't have any mind unless it's to kill. They are mindless and forget things the minute after you tell them something. So they shall stay in their cages."

Hiccup's blood boiled. "They are not _mindless_ _beasts_!" he shouted loudly. He worried for a minute that Toothless had heard him, but after hearing nothing in return, relaxed. He couldn't let Toothless see this, not now.

Dumbledore hushed Hiccup down instantly as he gave him a knowing look. "You will help these keepers. End of story." Then he turned and disappeared into the dark. Hiccup growled and punched a tree. He looked at the dragons, to see they were watching him as well. He darted around the keepers and towards one that he recognised, well, he recognised the species.

The Nadda crowed to him and pecked at the cage. Clearly, she was angry. She didn't want to be in there anymore than Hiccup wanted her in there. Hiccup sighed and walked over to her. She realised that Hiccup meant no harm and calmed down, stopped her pacing and breathed heavily. Hiccup smiled and reached his hand up to her nose. She leant forward to meet it. They had done this before - there was no way that a dragon, a wild dragon, with treatment such as these, would trust Hiccup this quickly.

Hiccup stopped touching the Nadda and walked around her cage, looking for anything which would set her apart from the other Nada's which they had come across. There wasn't anything that he could tell. She looked like any other blue Nadda which always surrounded places around Berk.

Then he saw it. This Nadda _came_ from Berk. On her tail was a distinct initial. She _belonged_ to someone. Hiccup felt his blood boil. See, some Vikings like to put their initials in their dragons skin. Whilst Hiccup thought it cruel at the start, it worked quite well when one went missing and they couldn't tell whose was whose. Not that it should be too hard, but it didn't hurt the dragon either, they barely even felt it, it was the same temperature as their skin.

"Where did you get the dragon?" Hiccup fumed angrily.

The keepers turned around hurriedly, surprised that Hiccup was all the way inside the circle of cages. The Ron Lookalike groaned and stepped forwards. "We found it near the beach. It was causing havoc around the muggles."

Hiccup groaned. More words he didn't know what they meant. "This dragon is not an _it_, she is a _she_. And she was looking for _food_, probably for her babies, and she would never hurt anyone. She is one of the kindest dragons that I have _ever _met."

Astrid walked forwards and towards the Nadda. She gasped when she came to the same conclusion as Hiccup had: the dragon belonged to one of the women in the village. Her name was Stringlove, she was a beautiful Nadda and had beautiful babies to a wild male Nadda before Stringlove was bonded to her rider.

Hiccup gently stroked Stringlove's blue snout. The Nadda groaned unhappily. Hiccup knew that she wasn't going to be very happy, but she couldn't leave - Hiccup knew that these wizards wouldn't let her leave.

The keepers exchanged looks. "She's a deadly dragon. You need to stay away from it."

Hiccup laughed. "I don't know why you guys brought me here. It's clear that you guys don't think I can help."

The keepers exchanged looks. "It is clear to us that someone as small cannot control one of these dragons. We just need your leader, the dragon trainer." The taller dragon keeper said. He had darker skin and hair and looked completely different to the other two.

Hiccup laughed. "You realise that _I'm_ the dragon trainer?"

The keepers looked shocked, but recovered quickly. They started to laugh and then turned away. Hiccup scowled and stalked off towards the tower. Toothless was the only one who could calm him down now. His friends respected his mood and followed softly behind him. They left the stupid dragon keepers to their business. They didn't need anyone's help. The dragons should kill the champions just for having such poor living conditions.

Hiccup's mood didn't increase as he climbed the large amounts of stairs. His metal leg thumped angrily against the stone floors as he fumed and put more pressure on it than necessary. It was a good thing that it wasn't hurting too badly today. There were days where it was worse than others. This one, maybe getting better. But flying with Toothless would help.

The room getting closer, Hiccup's mood lifted only slightly. He pushed it open and startled the Night Fury. Hiccup apologised as Toothless growled and stretched, hating haven been rudely awaken by the young Viking. Hiccup walked over and scratched the dragon under his neck. Toothless purred and collapsed on the ground. Hiccup laughed, his mood gone and happiness replaced. Toothless always made him feel happy.

Hiccup opened the window and stepped onto the balcony. Toothless followed quietly behind and waited for Hiccup to regather his thoughts. Hiccup leaned against the edge of the balcony and ran a hand through his hair angrily. He looked to Toothless and he walked up to him and nudged his shoulder with his head.

Toothless grumbled anxiously as Hiccup started to get worked up again. Toothless didn't like his best friend being upset, it made him feel useless instead of Toothless. He licked Hiccup and pushed him over, landing against the rail of the balcony. Hiccup laughed.

"Alright bud, I'm alright now." Hiccup reassured the near black but blue dragon. Toothless purred happily as Hiccup scratched the dragon under his head and under his wings, where he wouldn't be able to scratch himself.

Hiccup stood up and looked over the saddle on Toothless' back. He made sure that the connecting tail and fin was safe and then mounted the dragon. Toothless excitedly pawed the ground as he waited for Hiccup to clip himself in and move the tailfin. Hiccup rolled his eyes and let the dragon leap off the group.

Toothless screeched loudly and the sound of his wings was heard as they shot straight up towards the clouds. Hiccup leant forwards and smiled as the wind rushed against his face. He loved being in the air. Being with Toothless. He always felt so free. Able to be who he truly was. The dragon was the added bonus. Toothless was amazing and never did anything Hiccup wouldn't want him to. Most other dragons didn't care about their riders the way that Toothless did. But none of the other riders cared the way Hiccup did.

Once the duo were in the clouds, Toothless opened his wings out fully and glided amongst them. Hiccup leant back against Toothless' flat back and looked up at the stars. He loved watching them. Toothless flapped his wings slowly as they glided around the school grounds. They were safe from watching eyes, nobody would be up now, it was past curfew, which thankfully didn't effect Hiccup or their gang.

Toothless dove straight towards the lake and Hiccup grabbed back hold of the saddle, holding one hand out and laughing. The wind made his hair whip angrily around his face, yet Hiccup didn't care. He bounced around as Toothless roared again, louder, and shot a blue plasma blast along the water surface. The water reflected the colours and rippled as the blast exploded and the force sent a blast of wind rippling back.

Hiccup turned Toothless over in spirals and they shot straight back to the clouds. Toothless grumbled as he effortlessly avoided the clouds. It was their game. They had obstacles which constantly changed, they couldn't touch them. Hiccup loved it because of how hard it became at night. Especially when there weren't very many around.

Toothless shot several more blasts above the clouds, dispersing the larger ones and causing them to leak water towards the school. Hiccup shrugged as the dragon charged through the little rain and shot back towards the ground.

Hiccup landed Toothless on the balcony again and hopped off, hugging the dragon. They both stayed that way for a moment, Hiccup not wanting to let go of his best friend. Of course, Toothless was the one to break it up. He pulled away and licked Hiccup all along his body. Hiccup laughed as he shook off the dragon saliva.

Toothless squawked and pushed Hiccup inside the room, afraid that his rider would get cold. It was his own fault though, really. Hiccup laughed and allowed the dragon to push him inside.

Astrid and Gobber were waiting up for Hiccup once he got back. Toothless stood behind him as the two Vikings confronted the smaller one.

"Are you alright, Hiccup? You seemed pretty worked up before." Astrid asked gently. She was pretty upset with the way that the dragons were treated, but she didn't care as much as Hiccup. Hiccup was the first Viking to ever not kill a dragon and he felt it his duty to make sure that no one else did. But these people... it was different. Even Astrid didn't understand it.

Hiccup nodded slowly and put his hand on Toothless. "Yeah. I am now. I just got really aggravated. And when they started to bag my own dragon skills? They should just release Stringlove. She did nothing wrong." At the mention of Stringlove, Toothless perked. He gave Hiccup a quizzical glance. He and she weren't very close, but he did know her. She was one of the few dragons that were afraid of him, and he tried to be as nice as possible around her.

Astrid nodded slowly and sat down, encouraging Hiccup to sit down next to her. Toothless hurried to curl up and let Hiccup lean against him. Hiccup laughed and leant against the dragon. Toothless mumbled and closed his eyes, tired and ready to go to bed.

"It'll be alright. You'll be able to look after the dragons. None of the rest of us could get as close to them as you could." Astrid reminded him.

Hiccup sighed and looked at her with dull eyes. "Yeah? I wish I could be that confident." He admitted.

Astrid smacked him lightly and stood up. "Well, night Hiccup. Just remember that I believe in you. You always do the right thing." Then she went to her room with Roughnut. Hiccup sighed and slid down on the floor, breathing heavily against Toothless.

Toothless blinked and opened his eyes. Hiccup smiled and gently stroked his head. Toothless purred and closed his eyes again. Hiccup laughed gently and grabbed a blanket from the couch. Hiccup realised that it was one from the beds. He would have to thank his friends the next morning.

Hiccup curled up close to the dragon and Toothless curled his wing around Hiccup. They both fell into a dreamless sleep. Hiccup didn't think once about the other dragons, he was happy about that.

* * *

Harry wasn't ready for his next day. They were going to be hearing about the tournament. He wanted to enter, but he knew the chances were slim. The chances of survival for those entered were slimmer. Harry just wanted to enter his _name_ and then he would give up.

Ron and Harry headed towards breakfast. Ron was talking fast about what they were doing. Who was going to be the champion for their school? Names circled Harry's head, yet he wasn't paying attention. He couldn't think about anything. He was worried, and it wasn't for himself - it was unnecessary worry, for those who were going to enter. For Voldemort. No, he didn't want him around. That's what he was worried about. That he _was_.

Harry was surprised to see that the Vikings were already seated in the same seats as the previous day when they arrived downstairs. The taller, and bulky one was at the teachers table as was previously. Strangely, Harry found it difficult to believe that he was the leader of the group. He didn't seem like... leader quality.

Hermione joined her two friends and sat next to Hiccup. Hiccup seemed grim this morning. Harry wondered what had crawled up his butt and died. Hiccup barely looked up at the entrance of Hermione or Harry. Astrid put her hand on Hiccup's shoulder and shook it, he barely smiled.

There was definitely something wrong with Hiccup. It couldn't be something that the Slitherins had done, could it? Surely they wouldn't stoop that low, Harry wondered, but the young Viking seemed really depressed - like something really terrible had happened.

Hermione was the one to finally ask. She was nosy and kind, and she cared. They were the qualities which sometimes didn't go quite to plan, but this time, it seemed alright, except they had the attention of all the Vikings except that at the teachers table.

"Are you alright, Hiccup?" she asked gently.

Hiccup sighed and looked up at Hermione. Harry noticed that his eyes were sparkling with un-shed tears. "Yeah. I'm alright. It's just... complicated." He replied. His voice was soft and Harry knew that something terrible was going on.

Hermione shook her head sadly. "You can talk to us, Hiccup. We don't bite."

Hiccup smiled a little at that. Astrid smacked his shoulder and smirked. There must have been an inside joke that Harry didn't understand. "I know. I only have one friend who does." He joked. Then he went back to his dull mood. "But you wouldn't understand. No one here does. I mean, would you keep a cat in a cage all its life and make it suffer? No? Then why do it with-" he cut himself off and breathed deeply.

Astrid sighed as Hiccup stood angrily and stuffed some fish into his pockets then left the breakfast hall. No one stopped the Viking as he left the hall. Except for Malfoy. Harry sucked in a breath as the Slitherin boy stood up and tripped Hiccup.

Hiccup landed on his face and stood back up instantly. Harry couldn't help but admire his reflexes, apart from the falling over part, he didn't want to fall over all the time.

"Have a nice trip?" Malfoy snickered.

Hiccup scowled and went to step away from the Slitherin when Malfoy restrained him with his hand. Hiccup wasn't strong enough to pull away. Poor little Viking, Harry thought. "I don't want any trouble, Malfoy." Hiccup muttered.

Malfoy snickered and pushed Hiccup. "Shame, real shame. One legged man like yourself. Say, what did you do to lose your leg? Fall down a well? Crash into a brick wall?" he smirked.

Hiccup glared at him and stood up. He tried to rise over Malfoy, but Harry knew that he was failing miserably. Harry could see that the Viking was smaller in more ways than one. The wizard was just stronger than Hiccup.

Harry glanced up as Astrid and Snotlout hurried to Hiccup's aid. The twins followed quickly and then Fishlegs sighed as he left his food sadly. Harry didn't know what was going to happen. Malfoy getting his butt kicked seemed likely though.

"You leave Hiccup alone or you're going to wish you'd never even heard the word _Viking_." Astrid growled angrily at Malfoy. Harry had to admit, she scared him. More than Hermione ever would. He glanced at Hermione and saw her nodding her head approvingly. She seemed to like this Astrid.

Malfoy swallowed, but his pride kept him going. Harry knew that he should just give up. This was a dangerous game, especially with strong Vikings in the area. "Yeah? He's so weak that he thinks a _girl_ can defend him." Malfoy turned to his friends briefly as he said this, but turned back to face the Vikings.

Snotlout laughed. "Wow. That's the same excuse he used yesterday." He remarked. Hiccup turned to him and smiled. Snotlout smirked and rolled his eyes. So, Harry thought, Snotlout was nothing like Malfoy. Just a pain.

Hiccup ducked away and towards the exit of the great hall. Malfoy called out and was cut off. Harry saw Astrid's hand covering his mouth. The twins were cheering her on. What was with them anyway? These Vikings sure were strange. Hiccup smirked just before he left and then he was gone. Harry didn't think that he would see the young twig of a Viking until later.

Harry sat back in his chair and looked at Hermione. The Vikings came back to sit and they all seemed rather angry. Harry looked at Astrid. She stabbed her fish angrily. Did they ever eat anything _normal_? Of course, granted, they were ancient in their ways, they lived in wooden houses and didn't have electricity. Not too different from Hogwarts, but Harry also lived in the muggle world.

Hermione started to talk to Astrid. They seemed to become good friends by the end of it. They were similar: they were both protective of their friends. Astrid seemed to avoid talking about Hiccup a lot, but she mentioned a _Stormfly_ quite often. Harry thought it was her pet - maybe a dog or a cat, or an owl, but these were Vikings. For all he knew... it could be a lion.

Fishlegs and Snotlout struck up a conversation. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, and it wouldn't have helped anyway - they were speaking in Norse. There was no way that he could learn something so ancient anyway: there weren't any books on the forgotten language.

Harry talked to Ron for a while. They talked about their classes which they had today. Unfortunately, it included classes with Slitherin. That meant with Malfoy. They were the worst. The only thing worse than having a class with a Slitherin was having a potions class with Sliherin.

After a while, Dumbledore called the attention of the students. Harry perked up instantly. A huge covered statues moved into the room and Harry gave it a glance before drawing his attention to the headmaster. Dumbledore waved and the students waved back. This wasn't quite usual.

"As you are all aware, this year is the Tri Wizard Tournament. Because of past tournaments, there will be an age limit of only over seventeen year olds. To make sure that it is adhered to, I will be casting an aging line around the goblet." Dumbledore announced loudly. The room was silent. Too silent.

Dumbledore passed over to Barty Crouch. A member of the Ministry of Magic was the leader of this whole operation? Harry couldn't help but be confused. But then, it is a world famous and acknowledged event. Harry knew this even without knowing much of wizards.

"For those of you who want to enter, you have until tomorrow to enter your name into the Goblet of Fire. Once entered, you can't undo it." Barty Crouch announced loudly. Everyone in the room stayed silent. People were glancing at each other excitedly however. The Ministry member uncovered the Goblet and gasps went around the room. The blue flame was quite magnificent, sitting atop a gold Goblet. Harry was in awe of it. He didn't wish to be seventeen, yet he did wish that he could touch the shiny object. Harry looked at the Vikings and noticed that they were in shock of the Goblet, but it was nothing new.

Barty Crouch explained a few more things: that the champions would be chosen at dinner tomorrow, the first task wasn't for another month; the champions weren't allowed to know what the tasks were in advance. No one but the organises were. When Barty Crouch said such a thing, the Vikings exchanged looks and were smug. Harry knew there was something going on but said nothing.

The teachers finished their breakfast and left the Goblet where people could put their name in. Harry finished his breakfast and headed outside. The fresh air was nice. He headed for the tower and collected his books for first class. He liked to be on time when there were special events going on, and people would still be with the Goblet.

Harry bumped suddenly into someone in the courtyard. He looked down to see Hiccup on the ground holding his head. Instantly the wizard felt bad, he'd hurt the young Viking. He swore he hadn't meant to. On the bright side, Hiccup wasn't looking so unhappy. In fact, he looked really happy. His clothes were slightly windswept and dishevelled, and his hair more so, but he looked in a good mood.

"Oh, sorry, Hiccup. I didn't see you there." Harry apologised as he bent down and offered his hand to Hiccup.

Hiccup shrugged and pulled himself up. "It's alright. It's nothing I'm not used to." He said. He dusted himself off and headed towards the edge of the school. Harry watched the strange Viking leave the school grounds and head towards the Forbidden forest. What was he doing around _there_? Maybe seeing Hagrid...

Harry shrugged it off and headed towards class. He had a long day and wanted to get started. He couldn't help thinking of why the Viking was so upset earlier. There was something wrong and Harry wasn't the sort of person to let someone be upset like that, neither were either of his friends. Hermione would get to Hiccup. She would tell Harry what the problem was, and then they could help to fix it.

* * *

Hiccup couldn't believe his rotten luck. Not only had he bumped into Malfoy earlier, but he'd been called into the forest by none other than mister charming headmaster Dumbledore. He couldn't imagine how the students actually _liked_ the guy. He was such an ignorant... not caring little twit!

Toothless made Hiccup happy though. Whilst the other Vikings were inside the hall eating their food, Hiccup and Toothless had had their morning flight. Toothless had enjoyed it and received the fish which Hiccup had stuffed into his pockets. They were getting fish by some unknown staff, but Hiccup still liked to give the dragon his own treat.

Hiccup kicked pebbles as he headed towards the dragons. Dumbledore had told him that there was a problem and they needed help early. Hiccup wasn't happy, but Dumbledore had happily reminded him of their little... _deal_. Hiccup wasn't happy at _all_.

Once Hiccup reached the dragons, he found the keepers outside what looked like a Monstrous Nightmare. It was a dark shade of blue, yet not quite Toothless and had red through its coat. Hiccup had never seen a Nightmare quite like this one, but it had to be one from the way it lit its body on fire. That was pretty cool, Hiccup had always admired that about the species.

The three keepers looked as though they were trying to feed the dragon, yet they couldn't open the cage to get the food into it. Hiccup sighed angrily and stalked towards them. When they turned, they seemed surprised to see Hiccup there.

"We thought Dumbledore was getting the dragon trainer?" the Ron Lookalike said, shocked. He almost lost grip on the dragon's cage due to his shock. Hiccup smirked.

"I _am_ the dragon trainer." He announced proudly. Sure, be proud now, Hiccup, he scolded himself.

All three keepers laughed. "Sure. Sure." They all agreed in teasing manners. They couldn't believe that someone of Hiccup's build wouldn't be able to control a dragon? Well, he'd show them. They just had to wait to meet Toothless, and _then_ they'd get the _real_ shock.

Hiccup shoved the three keepers out of the way. The dragon stopped moving around for a moment and Hiccup stared at the creature. He moved around a bit and snorted, his breath coming out in hot puffs. Hiccup stepped back and showed to the dragon that he had no weapons. The dragon huffed and glanced at the Wizards. Hiccup rolled his eyes for a moment.

When the dragon stilled, Hiccup stepped forward and grabbed hold of the fish. The dragon jostled forwards and tried to grab the fish, but the cage stopped him. Hiccup glared at the wizards and then put the fish through the bars. The dragon swallowed it whole.

"Well. That solves that problem." Hiccup said, wiping his hands. The dragon clicked to Hiccup and insisted upon more. Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked at the keepers. "Go on. He won't hurt you if you don't hurt him. It's a mutual thing." He explained. Hiccup took a step back and admired the dragons in the day time. He pretended that the cages weren't there and found that there were four in which he didn't recognise the breeds, but there were a few which he did. There was a zippleback, a Gronkle and a terrible terror. That was a joke, right? There were two Nada's as well. Stringlove and another brown one. There was a Typhoomerang, which surprised Hiccup incredibly. They were massive. But this was just a baby. That made Hiccup angry. They shouldn't have a baby dragon in their cages, babies were innocent, they had to have a free life.

Hiccup noticed a change wing. The keepers probably thought that the silly dragon escaped all the time, but that wasn't the case, the dragon was just extremely good at camouflage - you could only see them if you were looking hard enough.

The keepers turned to Hiccup. "Thankyou, Hiccup."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "You know, I still don't know your names."

They laughed and exchanged looks. The Ron Lookalike said, "I'm Charlie Weasly. You might know my brother, Ron." He introduced.

Hiccup nodded and looked to the taller darker one. "Jeremy Gerard." He said.

The last one was a pale and shorter one, with brown hair. "And I'm Kingsly." He didn't provide a last name, which shocked Hiccup. He wouldn't be needing the last name anyway. He wasn't an idiot, he called people by their first names, he always did, it was standard protocol.

Hiccup turned and waved goodbye to the keepers. He would be back to make sure that these dragons were in good hands, but for now, he had a dragon which needed some comfort, or the other way around. Either way, Hiccup wanted to spend the day with Toothless. He loved his friends, but he loved Toothless more. And there would never be a competition between them. Hiccup would always save Toothless first.

The school was quiet. That meant that classes were already on. That meant that Hiccup and Toothless were free to wander around aimlessly. Hiccup beamed and headed towards the rooms where they were staying. He stopped at the door when he heard someone talking inside. It sounded a lot like Dumbledore and that Barty Crouch person.

Hiccup entered and immediately everyone stopped talking. Toothless dashed over to Hiccup and growled loudly at the two professionals in the room. Hiccup didn't even bother calming the dragon. He didn't want to. Toothless could growl all he wanted.

Dumbledore noticed that Hiccup wasn't going to stop the dragon and sighed. "We might have started on the wrong foot."

Hiccup looked down at his left foot, shaking a little and smiling inwardly. "That's hard, considering I only have one." he said with a slight teasing hint in his tone.

Dumbledore ignored him and continued, "But I am thankful that you did decide to come along."

"Because I had a choice?" Hiccup said sarcastically.

Dumbledore, once again, ignored him. "Yes. If you didn't, though, we would have killed every dragon here though. It really was your choice."

Hiccup bent his head and his eyes snapped open. He knew this deal, but he'd never said it quite like that: like he was still going to do it. "You will not." He forced out. "Because if you do, you're going to _wish you were never born_." Hiccup snapped. Toothless growled loudly and crouched into a spring position. This time, Hiccup gently restrained the dragon.

Dumbledore nodded. "Right. Well. I'd like to see you try. But you've proven my point. You can tame the wildest dragons and make them safe. That's what you're going to do for the dragons in the tournament." Dumbledore explained.

Astrid stepped forwards, as did Gobber. "You're forgetting that Hiccup didn't _tame_ Toothless. He _befriended_ him. Toothless and Hiccup are best _friends_. You just don't realise this." She snapped.

Dumbledore and Barty Crouch exchanged glances. "Well, you're going to have to make the dragons more placid. It will take time. They're pretty wild."

Hiccup laughed, the sound not as nice as it usually was. "See, I was just there. A Monstrous Nightmare practically ate from my fingers. Imagine what would happen if he was free? Out of his cage? Do you _know_ what cages do to _dragons_? You just _don't_ cage them. They are wild. Born to be free." Hiccup explained.

Astrid looked surprised. "You went without us?" she asked, shocked.

Hiccup nodded, keeping his head down. "I had to. I didn't have time. They were going to hurt the Nightmare. I couldn't let that happen."

Toothless gave Hiccup a proud smile in his eyes and turned back towards Dumbledore. Hiccup apologized to Astrid briefly before watching Dumbledore's next excuse. He was such an idiot.

"Right. Tomorrow I expect you to be working with the dragons then. I don't want them let out of their protective cages." Dumbledore said.

Just before he walked out of the door, Hiccup snapped at him, with words, of course. "Who are you protecting? The dragons or the keepers?"

Hiccup didn't want an answer. He stormed towards the balcony with Toothless in tow. They looked out and down the castle, now that it was lighter, Hiccup was able to see where everything was and was able to draw a much clearer picture. Toothless curled up beside Hiccup and watched the drawing. Astrid stayed with Stormfly until she couldn't bear to wait any longer.

"Hiccup, I know that this is hard for you, but we're your friends. We're here for you." Astrid said, placing her hand gently on Hiccup's shoulder.

He sighed and looked up at her. "I know Astrid. I know. I just... when Dumbledore threatens the lives of all those dragons, I feel like I have to do something. I can't just watch, you know?" he sighed and felt himself slide down. Toothless pushed against Hiccup's lap and he laughed.

Astrid nodded and sat beside Hiccup, watching as he continued to draw the school. Hiccup put in all the details which he could remember, and he had a pretty good memory. He was running low on ink, but he had a feeling that the school would have some. They were pretty basic - primitive - but not as low as the Vikings, but Hiccup enjoyed their way of life.

The group stayed silent until they heard someone snore. Hiccup laughed and shoved Toothless slightly, instantly shutting him up. Toothless drifted back to sleep, thankfully without snoring. Hiccup scratched his head lightly and stood up. He would give Toothless some time to relax.

Astrid stood and followed Hiccup to the living area of the dorm. Gobber was in his rooms, but everyone else was in the common area. They looked up and waved. The twins, of course, were devising a plan for them to blow something up with Barf and Belch without anyone noticing. Snotlout was looking at himself in the mirror. Fishlegs, of course, was reading books. But surprisingly, they weren't on dragons.

"Hiccup!" Roughnut shouted as she jumped over her brother and headed towards Hiccup. "We're going to blow up the flags on the roof. It takes _skill_ to hit _only_ the flags. You want to join? You've got the dragon with the best aim." She insisted.

As much as Hiccup wanted to blow something up on the school, get even, he knew he shouldn't. "Well, the offer sounds nice," he received a punch in the gut from Astrid, so he wheezed on. "But I'll have to refuse." He bent over and clutched his stomach.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "OH, come on, I didn't hit you _that_ hard." She teased. Unfortunately, she didn't know her own strength. And that was unfortunate for everyone around her.

Hiccup nodded as he doubled over and put his hand on the back of the chair for support. He liked Astrid a lot, but she was just a bit rough on him, and he was still the weakest Viking Berk had ever seen, so it wasn't hard for her to be stronger than him.

Toughnut walked over to them and started babbling about how much fun they were going to have blowing up the flags. Hiccup wondered when they were going to do such activities. When he voiced his concerns, he got the "During classes next hour." In return. Hiccup sighed and shook his head, standing up straight.

Fishlegs joined them and started talking about what wizards could do to prevent such attacks on the school. Hiccup didn't actually think that they would be smart enough to put things up like that.

"Well, as much fun as you guys _aren't_." Roughnut started.

Toughnut finished for her. "We're going to get our dragon ready."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Just don't get seen, alright? You don't want that to happen."

The twins both nodded, as though it was the silly-est question they'd heard all day. Hiccup shrugged them off. They were pretty silly sometimes, morons even, but they were still friends and Hiccup couldn't help but worry over them.

Hiccup watched the twins leave the common room and prepare their dragon in their dorm. Well, he didn't watch them in the dorm, but he knew that they were in there. Hiccup went back to the balcony where the sleeping Night Fury was still, well, sleeping.

Astrid joined Hiccup and lent against the railing. Hiccup smiled as they looked out at the sky. The light clouds which circled the school, the huge turrets reaching up to the clouds. Hiccup could tell that they were in the tallest tower by the way that he could see over everything.

Hiccup heard Toothless grumble and looked down. Astrid rolled her eyes at the dragon and called to her own. Stormfly croaked and thudded towards them. Toothless immediately shot awake and stood in front of Hiccup. Upon realising that it was Stormfly, he grumbled and leant back down and closed his eyes. Hiccup laughed lightly at the dragon.

"Hey, girl. We need to go for a fly, don't we?" Astrid asked as she patted the Nada's scaly nose. Stormfly clicked and pushed against her own rider. Hiccup always liked their relationship, only because it was nearly similar to Hiccup's and Toothless.

* * *

As Harry had predicted, they didn't see the Vikings for most of the day. They had been in class and heard what sounded like bombs going off. As soon as they'd gone out to investigate, there was nothing out of the ordinary, until they'd looked at the flags atop the turrets - they were up in smoke, but there were no people around who looked guilty. It was probably Fred and George Weasly, the notorious twins who were always up to no good.

By dinner time, the Golden Trio were ready for their dinner. They were pretty hungry. The Vikings were already seated and talking about something. They looked pretty happy. Harry noticed that Hiccup also looked cheery, a first for the young man.

Harry talked to Hermione and Ron as soon as they sat down. They didn't bother toning their conversation to level that the Vikings would understand. They shouldn't be listening. Harry got the feeling that they weren't. They were all deep in their own world with their own language.

"Who do you reckon is going to be chosen from Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked up from her dinner and listed some people whom she thought might be good candidates for the cup. None of them were people who Harry particular liked. But that didn't matter. As long as the Champion wasn't a slitherin. They would never hear the end of it from Malfoy.

"I think the age thing is stupid." Harry looked up as Fred and George entered the conversation. They sat next to Harry and Hermione, near the Vikings. Fred was the one who had spoken.

Harry rolled his eyes. "The ageing potion didn't work?" he teased.

Fred and George glared at Harry, but said nothing. Their silence told the Golden trio more than they'd thought. Of course the ageing potion wouldn't work. Dumbledore wasn't silly enough to let the circle be fooled by an ageing potion.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course it didn't work. Dumbledore isn't going to be stupid enough to be fooled by something as stupid as an _ageing potion_," she remarked.

Fred and George muttered something which Harry didn't quite catch. "That was why it _would_ work." Fred started.

"Because it was so incredibly _stupid_." George finished.

Harry laughed as he watched Hermione glare at her food. That wasn't really necessary, Harry thought. But it had shut his friend up, and that was sometimes a good thing. Hermione did get carried away and it annoyed practically everyone, yet they didn't say anything. She was easily hurt.

Hearing snickering, Harry looked up. Of course, he thought angrily. Malfoy and his goons were laughing and pointing at the Vikings. Couldn't he just _give it a rest_? He'd been at it for ages now. Granted, he'd been pestering Harry and his friends for ages, but that didn't mean that he could start to annoy the Vikings, and especially not the small one. Hiccup was clearly something special. They wouldn't have brought someone so scrawny around here for no particular reason, he had to be special.

Harry sighed and looked back at his dinner. If Malfoy was going to pick a fight on the Vikings, he didn't realise what he was getting himself into. Harry knew that the Vikings were strong. They were _Vikings_ and history always portrayed them as the toughest of the tough.

Dumbledore ended the dinner with the usual farewells. He also reminded the students that they had until morning to put their names in the Goblet. Harry wondered who was left to still put their names into it. There wouldn't be many, they'd put their names in early.

Harry stood up to leave. He and Hermione left the Great Hall after most others. The Vikings stayed back and waited for their friend at the teachers table. Ron left with his brothers. The Vikings were strange people, Harry had to admit, but they seemed friendly enough.

Hermione looked sad as they left the dining hall. Harry wondered why, but she didn't answer. She just kept glancing behind her as though looking for someone. Once they reached the tower, she explained. "It's Hiccup. It seemed like false happiness at dinner. But not only was that... he was hiding something. I could sense it in his voice. He was holding back something. When I asked him who his best friend was... well, I also asked if he'd brought them along. Hiccup didn't answer."

Harry shrugged. "It's not really any of our business. I'm sure Hiccup will tell us when he wants to."

Hermione didn't seem at all comforted. Harry knew that she just wanted to know everything about them. That was the way that she was. She didn't like not knowing things. It made her seem weak. "I'm not sure. It seemed as though he'd brought someone else... someone we haven't met yet."

Harry almost laughed. "You make it sound like such a bad thing. I'm sure they just brought along a friend or someone who doesn't like company. Or they could just be hiding them from the tournament. Maybe that's the first task." He joked.

Hermione glared at her friend. "Yeah, maybe." She slowly said. She wasn't convinced. She would get to the bottom of it. She wasn't going to be left in the dark for any amounts of time. She couldn't do that. Harry was more worried for the Vikings than of her, they didn't know what they were in for.

Harry heard the sounds of footsteps and knew that the Vikings were walking up to their rooms. They'd done that for the past while and Harry was used to it. Hermione grinned and grabbed her wand. She cast a hearing spell and tried to listen to what the Vikings were saying, then Harry saw her glare at the fake ear.

"They are talking in Norse." She grumbled angrily. Harry laughed. Of course they were - they weren't stupid, and English wasn't their first language, either. They were only speaking it here because of the wizards chosen language, to be polite. Harry was quite glad that they knew some, though he didn't understand how they did.

Harry said goodnight to his friends and headed to the dorms. He read one of his books and then closed it. He looked out the window and leant against the window sill. He heard something which sounded like a screech... from an animal? He saw something pass across the scarce clouds and block out the stars for a moment.

The figure passed quickly and Harry almost thought that he'd imagined it. But there it was again, though this time closer to the tower. Harry saw the creature circle the Gryffindor tower, as though looking for somewhere to land. To Harry's amazement, it landed without a sound. Harry was sure that he was imagining things, though the figure was perched on the edge of the common room balcony where the Vikings were staying. Hermione was right: they were hiding something.


	3. Chapter 3

Hiccup had to sit at the main table, Gobber at the Gryffindor one with the rest of the Vikings. He felt so out of place, sitting next to Professor Snape and Professor Sprout. The shorter garden teacher made Hiccup feel slightly better. But the potions teacher was grim as ever. Hiccup was sure that he was plotting someone's death.

The room was alive with sound. The breakfast meal over, everyone waited for the names to be called out. Hiccup was just hoping that the people looked like they wouldn't hurt the dragons. He couldn't bear it if they were injured more than they were in the cages. It just made him feel sad.

When the Goblet was transported inside the room, everyone turned silent. Hiccup could almost hear a pin drop. Not that he'd want to, of course. The teachers all stood and Hiccup felt the need to stand as well. When they sat, he almost fell into the chair. He wasn't used to this sort of thing.

Dumbledore and Barty Crouch stepped forwards. Barty spoke about how the chosen would participate in the tournament no matter what objections they had. The Goblet was a permanent thing. What was pulled out stayed. Dumbledore waited for the Ministry member to retake his seat before he watched the flame on the Goblet.

Hiccup noticed that the flame turned into a different colour, a bright blue, before a paper flew out of it. The flame returned to its normal colour. Dumbledore opened the singed paper and called the name out loudly. "Fleur Deleclour of Beauxbaxton."

The young girl stood up and bowed to her fellow friends from school. She headed towards the front and into the directed room. Hiccup didn't think that he had to worry too badly about her. She seemed like the kind of girl who wouldn't want to harm anyone.

The flame changed again and a rougher piece of parchment flew out. Dumbledore didn't seem surprised as he read out the name of the Durmstrung boy. "Viktor Krum." He announced clearly. The guy stood up and high fived his friends. They all beamed at him. Hiccup didn't like this one. He _did_ look like the type to harm the dragon.

Dumbledore grabbed the last piece and read out the Hogwarts student. "Cedric Diggory." He read. The Hufflepuff beamed and stood. He seemed too much of a pretty boy to really try to fight the dragons, Hiccup thought. That was a safe one.

The three champions headed towards their designated area for speaking to. The flame changed again and it shocked everyone, including Dumbledore. Hiccup turned his head slightly to look at the teachers. Only one of them looked slightly less shocked than the others. Professor Moody, Hiccup thought his name was. He seemed slightly smug.

"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore read out quietly, shocked. Harry stood up shakily and walked forwards. Hiccup knew that this boy hadn't put his name in the Goblet. He wasn't stupid enough. He wouldn't have risked his life like this. There was something behind it. Dumbledore seemed shocked and angry. Hiccup didn't like it.

The school hall was quiet as Harry headed into the room. Hiccup followed as all the teachers followed Dumbledore to talk to Harry. How could he have entered himself into the competition? It just wasn't possible. Hiccup knew the rules were quite clear. Three champions. Not four. Never _four_. So why? _Why_? And why Harry? What was so special about that boy?

Hiccup heard Dumbledore demand an answer out of the boy. Harry hadn't entered his name into the Goblet. Hiccup didn't need to hear Harry's answer to know that he hadn't. It was obvious. What did the boy get out of doing such a tournament, anyway? Apart from nearly dying, not much.

The two other headmasters were extremely unhappy by the new entry from Hogwarts. How could Dumbledore let the student enter? But the rules were quite clear. Harry was now an official champion for the Tri Wizard Tournament. Hiccup felt bad for the boy.

Dumbledore sighed angrily and looked over to Hiccup. He pulled him aside whilst Professor Moody spoke to Harry and the other members. It was about something which had to have been really powerful to hoodwink the Goblet. Of course, Hiccup began to wonder how that guy would have known that, under such short circumstances.

Hiccup waited for Dumbledore to speak. And when he did, it was hushed and Hiccup barely heard it. "You are going to train those dragons so that nothing happens to Harry." He warned.

The Viking shrugged. "It's not up to me." He exclaimed, but it was only light. He didn't want anything to happen to Harry almost as much as he didn't want anything to happen to the dragons. Possibly more. But he wasn't going to let Dumbledore know of this.

Dumbledore nodded his head and frowned. "Well, you'd better hope that it is. Because if something happens to Harry in this first task, it's on you." He warned in a deadly serious voice.

Hiccup held his hands up and rolled his eyes. "Right. Because clearly letting some Vikings here was the smartest thing to do. You know, we _are_ Vikings? We can't be trusted." He smirked. This was a silly game and he knew it, but he wasn't going to let the headmaster get away with telling the chiefs son what to do.

Dumbledore scowled. "You'd better hope on the lives of those dragons that you can."

Hiccup lost his smirk and scowled deeper than the headmaster. "You know, if you want me to get the dragons to attack you, all you had to do was ask." And without waiting for a reply, he left. He wasn't going to let the headmaster say anything else. He'd said enough. Threatening dragons was one sure fire way to get Hiccup to hate you. And Hiccup hated almost no one.

The great hall was empty, apart from Hiccup's friends. They were all still eating and talking about the tournament. Hiccup walked towards them and sat down, ready for something to eat. He put some fish onto a plate for the dragon back in the tower.

Astrid noticed Hiccup's scowl and knew that something had gone wrong. Of course. "What happened this time?" she asked, as though bored of Dumbledore's antics.

Hiccup frowned as he ate some bread. "Well, we have to make sure that the dragons are all extremely well behaved. If something happens to _Harry_ the dragons all die. How is that fair? They're _dragons_. If you didn't want them to harm anyone, you should have prepared a different task!" he rambled.

The Vikings all sighed. Astrid looked down at the food. "Well, I suppose we should get started soon."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. But we aren't bringing our own dragons there yet. I don't want the keepers to see them." He explained.

Everyone nodded and they finished their food quickly. Hiccup went up the stairs and told his Vikings that he would meet them in the forest. He took the fish to Toothless, who hurriedly ate them and grumbled in appreciation. Hiccup sighed and hugged the Night Fury sadly.

Toothless mumbled and pushed Hiccup towards the balcony. Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "We can't, bud. Its broad daylight. And I have something that I need to do first." Toothless groaned and shook his head angrily. He didn't like being left alone inside all day. Hiccup knew this, but there wasn't a better solution. "I'm sorry, bud. Truly. Next time you're coming with me though." He promised. Toothless nodded his head and watched Hiccup leave the room.

Hiccup headed back down and towards the Forbidden Forest. The other Vikings were already there, talking to the dragon keepers. Hiccup noticed that Charlie Wesley was having some problems trying to feed the same Monstrous Nightmare. Couldn't they just follow Hiccup's example? The wands weren't helping.

Kingsley and Jeremy were standing with the Vikings, probably giving them instructions. Hiccup walked over to them. Kingsley immediately glared at Hiccup. He shrugged it off. "Where were you? You were supposed to be here five minutes ago." Kingsley snapped.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Oh. I didn't tell you? I'm notorious for being late. And I was with Toothless. You wouldn't like me if I hadn't been there first." He retorted.

Snickers went around the group of Vikings. Astrid punched Hiccup on the shoulder again. She had a habit of doing that and it almost annoyed Hiccup. Almost. The twins and Snotlout all snickered and started imitating what would happen if Hiccup got mad. Yeah, because they were so _correct_, Hiccup thought dryly.

Kingsley frowned. "I'm sure your pet cat can wait. We've got dragons that you need to help us train."

Astrid smirked but said nothing. The rest of the group, aside Hiccup, fell about laughing. Hiccup rolled his eyes. They were so mature sometimes.

"Oh, don't worry. Toothless will be coming here soon." He shrugged. The Vikings sobered quickly and waited for Hiccup to do something. "But if I am to help with these dragons, they are not to be inside their cadges." He informed.

Kingsley exchanged worried glances with Jeremy. "We can't do that. They will escape. They stay in their respective cages." Kingsley said.

Hiccup sighed and nodded. "Alright. Well, let's get started gang."

Without another word, Hiccup went straight to a dragon which he'd never encounter before. The rest of the Vikings went to the more familiar of the dragon species. Except for Fishlegs, who was always eager? He went to a silky green one. Hiccup's was a thorny brown dragon.

Charlie walked over to Hiccup and stood behind him. He told Hiccup that the dragon was of the Hungarian Horntail. Hiccup didn't much like the name, but he shrugged it off. The dragon snorted and walked furiously around the cage. The confines didn't seem to be worrying him too much as he shot fire straight through the gaps of the cage.

Hiccup clicked his tongue, getting the attention. The dragon clicked his own tongue and imitated Hiccup as he bent his huge horned head to Hiccup's level. Hiccup smiled and stepped forwards. He liked the dragons which imitated the people. They were fun to train, not that he didn't like training Toothless or anything, just that these were his favourites _after_ Toothless.

The dragon snorted, its breath steaming out of his mouth. Hiccup reached forwards, allowing the dragon to step back if it needed to. The dragon's eyes stayed focussed on Hiccup's, making sure that the boy wasn't going to hurt him. He realised that Hiccup wouldn't and allowed him to touch his nose briefly. Hiccup smiled as he pulled his hand back. The dragon was surprised when Hiccup didn't continue to touch him. He smiled and gave him some food. The Horntail ate it speedily, eyeing off Hiccup as though asking for more.

Hiccup looked behind at Charlie, who was shocked. "That's our most dangerous dragon here." He muttered, confused and shocked. Well, all dragons were no match for Hiccup's kind ways. Well, that's what the twins said about him at least. Hiccup didn't mind either.

The young Viking merely shrugged. He had a way with the dragons. He knew that. They listened to him. He looked around to the others. They were having mild troubles with the dragons. Hiccup looked to a black dragon, who was pacing furiously. He was clearly mad. Angry. Hiccup walked over to it. Charlie explained that it was a Chinese Firebalt. Hiccup didn't know what the first word meant, but he liked the second one.

It took a while, but Hiccup went through each dragon which he didn't recognise. There was the Swedish Short Snout, which Fishlegs was next to and the Welsh Green. They were quite cool, but none compared to Toothless. Hopefully the Night fury wouldn't be too mad with Hiccup for leaving him alone and going to see other dangerous dragons.

The keepers all gave the Vikings a huge thankyou and told them that they were looking forwards to working with them soon. Hiccup could tell that they were lying. Of course they were. What dragon keepers wanted to be bested by a few Vikings who were younger than they were? None. Hiccup knew that they were jealous, but they would be more so once they saw the dragons which the Vikings rode.

Hiccup dragged behind his friends. Astrid hung back and started to talk to Hiccup. She could tell that Hiccup wasn't happy about the way the dragon keepers were acting, but there wasn't anything that she could do. Nothing seemed to cheer Hiccup up like Toothless, and she respected that, but she wished that Hiccup would talk to her as well.

"Hey, you know we are here for you, right?" Astrid said quietly.

Hiccup nodded. "I do. And I'm thankful. I am. It's just..." he trailed off sadly, looking into the forest. He didn't have the words and Astrid respected that. Hiccup was thankful that she did, but he didn't feel like talking. That's one of the things he liked about Toothless: he didn't need to talk for the dragon to understand that Hiccup needed comforting. The dragon could just _tell_.

Astrid sighed. "I know Hiccup. And I believe that you will tell us when you're ready. But you need to understand, we can't help if you don't tell us how."

Hiccup smiled and hugged her. His mind was on Toothless and he couldn't think of how nice the hug actually was. He really did like Astrid - had the biggest crush on her - but his mind was racing with jumbled thoughts on the other dragons and his own. He wanted Toothless to go and see the dragons. Wanted the keepers to see _his_ dragon. For them to realise that he wasn't completely new to this whole thing.

Astrid smiled as well. She liked Hiccup, too much for her own good. She was a strong, independent woman. She wasn't going to just let a guy walk all over her. But she got the sense that Hiccup wouldn't be the type to do so. She knew that he wasn't strong like that. He liked to let people do what they knew felt right.

Hiccup laughed and pushed her off. She blushed when she realised she'd been holding him for longer than need be. The couple spread apart and Hiccup chuckled as she walked back to the rest of the group, embarrassed. He found it funny how she could act like she had and then be all embarrassed. She was a pretty funny girl, but Hiccup loved her none the less. He got the sense that she was strong, and he liked that. He needed someone strong to handle his weaknesses, even when they weren't as dramatic as they used to be.

The group headed to their tower, generally in silence. There were a few moments when the twins would make random comments on how their exercise had been... the one where they blew up all the flags. Yeah, that one. Hiccup had laughed so hard when he'd heard of the outcome. The teachers... they hadn't been too impressed with their flags being blasted into pieces. Toughnut got most of the blame, as usual, with Roughnut playing the innocent one. But she'd been the one to actually aim, after all, she did have the head with the gas. So to speak, but also literally.

Hiccup talked to Astrid once they were back in the tower. They sat down on the couch, looking at the fire, both their dragons sleeping by it. Astrid started to add details in her own miniature copy of the _Book of Dragons_, except hers was one on the Deadly Nadda. Hiccup figured that they could copy some parts for the dragon keepers here to have, so that they could learn the ways of the Berk trainers. Only enough so they didn't have to cage the dragons, of course.

Fishlegs walked back into the room, followed by the pattering of a Gronkle. Hiccup took one glance at his face and knew that something was troubling him. He hopped up, startling the Night Fury and Nadda on the stone floor, and went over to the emotionally challenged Viking.

Hiccup stood next to Fishlegs, stopping him in his tracks. Meatlug thumped lazily over to where Toothless and Stormfly were, joining their little slumber party. Toothless sent Hiccup a slight glare, one that told him off for waking him up, before falling back to sleep himself.

"Hey Hiccup." Fishlegs said, his cheery smile only half present. Hiccup nodded, gesturing with his arms to explain. He didn't need to say anything, Fishlegs got the picture. "I was just thinking... There were four dragons there... we didn't know what _any_ of them were. How many _other_ dragon species are there that we don't know about?" he wondered curiously.

Hiccup nodded. "I don't know, Fishlegs. Maybe we'll have to look into that." He said thoughtfully. Truthfully, the thought had crossed Hiccup's mind already. But hearing Fishlegs say it confirmed his earlier suspicions. Well, hearing the book worm of the Vikings admit that he didn't know something, it shocked Hiccup, but it intrigued him as well.

Fishlegs beamed. "Well, I'm heading off to the library. I heard from Hermione that there are some pretty great books there." he announced, loud enough for Astrid to hear as well. She shrugged her shoulders, not really caring, and Fishlegs rolled his eyes. Her lack of interest in Fishlegs' hobby was pretty funny.

Hiccup waved Fishlegs out and shook his head, smiling. He had some pretty crazy friends. The book crazy nerdy one, the one who turned to violence, the vein one, and the two who liked to blow everything up. It was pretty silly, but Hiccup liked how all his friends were different, yet they still managed to get along.

* * *

Harry kept to his room for most of the day. Dumbledore had given the champions the day off, and that included him. He still couldn't believe it. He didn't know whether he was happy or sad, worried or overjoyed. He was definitely worried. Which of the champions wasn't? Well, maybe not Viktor, he seemed pretty mad to be going against the fourteen year old boy, but it wasn't Harry's fault. He wished that Ron could see that. They'd had a bit of a falling out, just because Ron was jealous.

The school was still alive with activity, classes still running, nothing seemed to have stopped. None of the students seemed to really care that one of the more 'important' of the students had been selected for the tournament. Harry thought that it was incredibly suspicious that he was put into it, but he wasn't going to say anything. He didn't have a chance.

Harry walked out of the Gryffindor dorm and almost bumped into someone. He apologised quickly, before looking up at who it was. It was one of the Vikings, Fishlegs. Harry remembered him from the times that he'd met him. Hermione had taken a certain liking to him, apparently he was into books as well.

"Oh, sorry, Harry. I didn't see you there." Fishlegs muttered quickly.

Harry shook his head and shrugged. "That's all fine, Fishlegs. Where are you off to, anyway?" he asked. He wanted to know where they snuck off during the day, it was curious that they were never there when they had classes. They obviously didn't have their own classes... so what was it that they were doing?

Fishlegs looked down and twiddled with his fingers. Whatever he was going to say, Harry could tell that it was embarrassing him. "To the library. Though I admit... I don't know where it is." he said sheepishly.

Harry rolled his eyes and smiled. "I'll show you the way. Come on." He said happily. That would give him something to do. Something to keep his mind off the impending doom. The first task was still at least a month away, but that didn't make Harry any less nervous. He would have to start preparing... but how do you prepare for a task you haven't got a clue as to what the objective is?

Fishlegs walked closely to Harry as they headed around the numerous corridors, all looking similar, to the library. Harry had spent ages roaming the halls with his invisibility cloak, not that he told anyone, and knew most pathways and secret ones. Of course, having a map which provided such things made it that much easier.

Harry couldn't help it, after a while of walking with the Viking, his mind instantly wandered over to Hiccup. He was an odd character, full of spirit, yet not showing much, hiding himself away to the world. Harry could tell that it was only his friends which really _knew_ him, and maybe not even them. Hiccup was just a strange one, one in which Harry didn't know if he liked or not. Of course, he _liked_ Hiccup, as a person, but he didn't know whether he liked him as a friend. Did Hiccup even _want_ friends?

Fishlegs started muttering to himself in Norse and Harry found himself curious. Who wouldn't? Learning a new language, or just hearing it, could be pretty exciting. He found himself speaking up, making Fishlegs snap his head towards him and blush slightly.

"Oh, it's nothing, don't worry Harry." Fishlegs hurriedly said, but Harry could tell that something was bothering him. It was just a matter of _what_.

Harry nodded slowly, his eyes looking at a painting in front of them. "I wasn't. I was just curious." Harry said lightly. He wanted to have a conversation. Something which could take his mind off everything. The tournament, the Vikings, Voldemort. There were so many things which could go wrong and that most likely would go wrong...

Fishlegs rolled his eyes and smiled. "Well, you wouldn't understand anyway. It has to do with our friends." He explained, his tone implying something which only they would understand.

Harry wondered what they were hiding. Fishlegs was in on it, that much was obvious. Maybe all Hermione needed to do was to talk to Fishlegs... he seemed the gullible type, one to talk under stressful situations. Not that that was a good trait to have, but Fishlegs seemed to have it.

The rest of the walk was silent. Harry's mind wandered over several things, all ending back with the numerous questions that he had for the Vikings. Namely one of them, of course, being Hiccup. He was so small, yet he seemed strong. There was just something about him that Harry admired. The way that he stood up to Malfoy was pretty cool, however worried he might have been for the small boy. Hiccup couldn't have been much older than Harry, yet Harry got the sense that he'd already been through more than a fair share of fights, maybe seen some deaths.

After a while, they reached the library. Fishlegs thanked Harry and headed inside, mumbling to himself happily in his own language. Harry chuckled to himself and strolled back to the dormitory. On his way, he changed his mind, as young boys generally do. He headed into the courtyard, near the entrance of the school, and sat by one of the benches on the stone floor, leaning against the pillars.

Harry looked up at the numerous turrets surrounding the school, the Gryffindor tower being amongst them. He wondered what the Vikings were doing during the school hours. Surely, they would tell the school students eventually, but Harry didn't want to have to wait for the information. He wanted to know now... but how would he? He couldn't very well just _ask_ them what they were doing here at Hogwarts. They might be doing something for the tournament – undoubtedly – and couldn't tell Harry because he was one of the four champions.

That made Harry's thoughts stutter to a halt. He was one of the champions. Not only would he have the chance of a lifetime to compete, he was with three other people. His chances were pretty slim at winning, let alone _surviving_. Hopefully the challenges wouldn't be too hard.

Harry sighed as he looked up to the bright blue sky. There weren't very many clouds dotted along them, but there were a few over different parts of the school. Harry blinked as he saw a black shape dart quickly through the sky, sure that he was imagining things. He heard a whistling sound as it came back and he knew he wasn't dreaming. Harry stood up and tried to catch another glimpse of the black creature, but it was too late, it was gone. Harry grumbled as he sat back down on the stone floor.

With his mind creating worst case scenarios, Harry almost missed the shape flying back over the school. Did Dumbledore know that there was something black in the school? A huge shape, creature was inside the protective boundaries. Surely Dumbledore would have known that. But, nothing came to stop the black creature. It seemed to circle the Gryffindor Turret before disappearing around the side. Harry rolled his eyes. Now he _knew_ he was seeing things. His thoughts were focussing on the Vikings so much that he was imagining them having creatures, massive black ones. That just _wouldn't happen_. Even the wizards wouldn't see that sort of thing every day.

Harry's mind went to Voldemort. Maybe the Vikings weren't here solely for Dumbledore. Maybe they were also here because of Voldemort. Maybe they were working for him, to somehow manage to bring him back to his former self. Harry paled at that thought. But Hiccup didn't seem like the type to do such a thing. He didn't look like the sort of boy who could kill _anything_. He was just a twig, no muscle and no weight. He was short, but he was also pretty cute, in the sense where he was small.

Standing up, Harry decided to go back to the dorm. It was almost lunchtime and he needed to put his robes back on. He couldn't go for lunch without them on, it was against school policy. The only reason he'd been allowed to take them _off_ was to show that he wasn't supposed to be in class. That rarely happened anyway.

On his way to the tower, Harry ran into someone. They were still outside, in the courtyard – Harry hadn't walked very far. Harry glanced at the person as he apologised, only slightly shocked to see that it was Hiccup. He looked far more shocked than Harry did, but he covered it up quickly, making Harry wonder.

"Oh, hey Hiccup." Harry said, smiling fondly.

Hiccup waved slightly. He looked awkward, slightly shorter than Harry. "You were out here this whole time?" he asked, slightly nervous.

Harry shrugged and nodded. "Yeah. Well, I don't have to go to class today. Privileges and such of being a champion."

At the mention of champions, Hiccup scowled briefly, before smiling and nodding, as though nothing was wrong. Harry knew that something was wrong now. "Oh. Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat... I have somewhere I need to be." He said slowly.

Harry nodded and watched the one legged boy limp slightly away and out of the school. Harry was about to turn and go back to the tower when he saw Hiccup stop. The Viking looked directly up at the Gryffindor tower, before shaking his head and walking away. Whatever that was, Harry was sure that it wasn't a bad thing. It couldn't. Hiccup didn't seem like the type to be mean.

Shaking his head, Harry speedily headed towards the tower. Things were getting a bit too strange for his liking. He wanted to know all about the Vikings, but at the same time, he respected their privacy. He couldn't just ask them why there was a huge black shape in their part of the tower.

The classes ended just as Harry reached the tower. He quickly changed into his robes and then headed to the hall, awaiting the arrival of his two friends. When Ron just walked straight past Harry, he sighed. Of course he would be like that. It wasn't _his_ fault he'd been entered in the competition. He'd been entered by someone else for some reason or another. But Harry just couldn't tell Ron, he'd never believe his own best friend. What did that tell him about his friends? He hoped that Hermione wasn't too mad either. They had had a bit of a fight before.

Hermione joined Harry and smiled. She sat next to Hiccup and Harry, with Ginny Weasley on the other side. They'd become pretty good friends recently. Harry wondered what it was about Ginny, but then, she was pretty cute. And she was only a year younger than they were...

Hiccup started to talk to his own friends, so Harry decided that now wasn't the time for answers. He turned to Hermione, who looked like she wanted to ask something. Harry sighed and gave her the pointed glance that told her to share.

"I was over hearing something in the courtyard this morning... it was about you being one of the champions." She whispered to Harry.

He sighed and nodded his head slowly. "I figured something like this would come up eventually." He admitted. It was more to himself than to others, but he still felt the need to say it.

Hermione nodded and smiled sadly. She gave Harry a comforting look and put her hand on his shoulder. "Harry, you're a great wizard. You'll be fine in the Tasks." Harry noticed that Hiccup snapped his head up at the mention of the Task, but didn't look over.

Harry sighed again, this time deeper. "I know that you think that... but, Hermione, I don't know if I can. I can't use many spells and the Tasks are going to be extremely difficult." Harry noticed Hiccup's heavy sigh, which had nothing to do with their own conversation.

Ron turned in his seat, three people away from Harry, and called across to him. "Hey, Harry, how's it feel to be a Champion?" it was angry and Harry decided it was best to just say nothing.

Hermione sent Ron a glare before snapping, "Leave him out of it, Ron."

Ron laughed and turned back to his twin brothers. Harry sighed and looked down, playing with his food. He didn't particularly feel like eating anything. He was too nervous, and the first Task wasn't for at least a month. That meant that he could get very skinny during that month. He needed to do something to calm those nerves.

A new voice joined the conversation, shocking Harry to no extent. "Don't listen to him, Harry. I'm sure that you'll do fine." Hiccup said.

Harry snapped his head towards the young Viking, catching his comforting smile. Harry had to smile back. How could he not, when it was such an irresistible smile to resist. Hermione nudged Harry briefly and she laughed. Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Thanks, Hiccup. But I don't know. I don't even know what the first task is, let alone how I can prepare for it."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and chuckled slightly. "Yeah, well. You won't need much, I can assure you on that." Then he looked to his friends for a moment. Astrid gave him the go ahead look and he nodded to her. "You know what always calms my nerves down? Going for a fly." And then he turned back to his friends, leaving Harry wondering what the _heck_ he was talking about.

Lunch ended and Harry sighed. Maybe Hiccup had a point though. Being on his broomstick in the air always cheered him up. It was a shame that the Quidditch cup couldn't be held this year. Stupid Tri Wizard Tournament. He still couldn't believe that he had somehow entered the tournament.

An idea hit Harry and he decided to head down to see Hagrid. He was one of his oldest friends, the one who had told Harry of the existence of wizards, taken him away from his horrible family in the Muggle world. Hagrid had a thing for strange magical creatures, dragons and screwts to name a couple of the more dangerous ones, but he was still a pretty cool friend.

Harry stalked away from Ron, who barely got the chance to glare at him. He started to cheer up as he headed towards the path down to Hagrid's hut. It was near the edge of the forbidden forest, making it easier for him to go about his jobs inside it. And it also helped because Hagrid himself wasn't allowed to actually do magic. That was for the wizards who weren't expelled. But that was a story for another time.

The hut had a plume of smoke rising from the chimney steadily, informing Harry that Hagrid was in fact home. He knocked on the wooden door and heard the sounds of a heavy man walking towards it. He waved to Hagrid as he opened the door and engulfed Harry into a tight hug.

"Harry, m'boy!" Hagrid greeted the wizard.

Harry laughed and hugged him back, before getting put back onto his own feet. "Hello Hagrid. How's things?" he asked, genuinely interested. He loved to learn about his life, if only because of how dangerous it could be. He remembered how he'd once been given a dragon egg... that hadn't ended too well. The little Norwegian Ridgeback had grown too quickly to keep up with Hagrid, and the ministry had been notified, the little dragon had been taken away and Hagrid had never really been the same since. He'd been crazier, going after even _more_ deadly creatures.

Hagrid laughed and headed back inside. "I'm pretty good. I hear you've been entered into the tournament?" Hagrid asked, even though he knew the answer. Everyone in school did. Everyone in the _wizarding world_ knew that Harry was entered as one the four champions. Besides, Hagrid had been there to witness the names being pulled out of the goblet.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I know. I don't even know... what am I supposed to do?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly. He was nervous... the task was ages away, yet he knew _nothing_ of what he could do to prepare for it, to help his chances of surviving through it.

Hagrid nodded slowly. "Harry, between you and me, I don't think that you will need to do much. There's something in action to... help..." he drawled.

Harry gave him a questioning glance. It told him to spill. But Hagrid held firm... for once. Harry had to admit, he was quite proud of Hagrid for not spilling everything. He usually did.

The door opened and Harry turned his head. He was shocked to see two Vikings standing at the door. It was Hiccup and Astrid, they were both standing there as though they owned the place. Well, fair enough, seeing as they were here on _some_ sort of business, but not from Hagrid. What were they here for, anyway?

"Ah, Hiccup. What a pleasure it is to see you again." Hagrid greeted calmly, although it was excited which wasn't unusual for Hagrid.

Hiccup beamed and stepped into the room, his metal leg barley missing the step on the door. Astrid followed behind him and they sat down in front of the fire. Hagrid gave them something to drink as they sat.

"What brings you lot here today?" Hagrid asked cheerfully, unaware of how tense the room actually was. Harry could feel it, the feeling that he shouldn't be there. The feeling that Hiccup didn't want him there. That hurt more than he thought that it would.

Hiccup suddenly decided to smile. "We were just coming to see how you were doing. We didn't see you earlier and thought that something might be up. Charlie didn't think that you would deliberately miss _that_." He replied cheerfully. Astrid gave the Viking a scornful look before looking at Hagrid too.

Hagrid looked away for a moment, his eyes sort of sad. "Something came up. But I won't miss it again... I couldn't." he said forcefully, his accent making it difficult for Harry to understand, as per usual. The Vikings didn't seem to have any difficulties with it, of course, being so similar to their own.

Hiccup nodded happily. "Of course. Tomorrow we're going to be bringing more though." He said, giving Hagrid the knowing look. This made Harry angry. They were obviously leaving him in the dark. He noticed Hiccup sending him a sly glance, one that told him to ask later. So the Viking _knew_. He _knew_. Harry didn't know whether to be happy or not... he'd have to tell Hermione.

At this, Hagrid's head perked up and he beamed, one of the happiest that Harry had seen him in a long time. "Really? Oh, I'll be there! Oh, this is going to be great!" he cheered happily. Harry rolled his eyes at his giant friend and leant back against his chair.

Hiccup chuckled softly and glanced at Harry. "He's been waiting to meet our friends for quite some time now." He chuckled.

Astrid elbowed Hiccup in the ribs and he breathed heavily. Harry hoped that he was alright, not knowing how much pain tolerance the small Viking could have. Surely more than Harry himself, but he couldn't be sure. Hiccup glared at Astrid as she smirked down at his cramped position. She sent him a knowing glance though, and Harry wondered what Hiccup had done wrong.

"Will we be meeting your friends?" Harry asked.

Astrid smirked and sent Hiccup the world famous _you got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out_ look. Hiccup sighed and looked back up at Harry. "Well, yeah. I guess... probably later though. I wouldn't want them to scare you..." he said, making Harry wonder how bad their friends could be that they were hiding them from the _Slytherin_.

Harry decided that it was time to head back. He stood up and thanked Hagrid for letting him stay. Hiccup waved good bye, with Astrid barely glancing up from her position staring at the fire. Harry rolled his eyes as he headed out the door and back to the castle.

As he was walking, Harry glanced up at the turrets of the school. A habit he found himself doing frequently recently. As he moved his eyes over the Gryffindor turret, he could have sworn that he saw a black thing look in his direction and then head inside... but his eye sight wasn't that great, hence the glasses. He sighed, shook his head, and focussed his mind on the tasks ahead. Like not dying.

* * *

Hiccup couldn't stop laughing. Astrid rolled her eyes and told him to shut up or she'd... well, she'd give him a good punch. Toothless growled at her threateningly and she held her hands up, but the smirk told all of them that she didn't' really care. Which was fair enough...

The twins walked into the common room and seemed quite pleased with themselves. Hiccup stopped laughing for a moment to ask what they were so happy about. They instantly gave another reason for the one legged Viking to resume laughing.

"We were hanging out with that Ron boy's brothers." Toughnut explained.

Roughnut snickered. "Yeah. They're totally like us."

"But they make people _sick_."

"Instead of blowing them up." Roughnut finished.

Hiccup clutched his stomach as he wiped a tear from his eyes. Astrid rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. He blinked rapidly and glared up at her. She gave him an innocent look, received by a sharp growl from the Night Fury. She didn't even bother to apologise. Hiccup glared at her.

Fishlegs entered the room with a serious face. Hiccup knew that he'd been at the library again. He seemed to be there a lot recently. "I just saw Harry. He's looking for you, Hiccup."

Hiccup chuckled to himself, his earlier laughter rising back to the surface. A glare from Astrid and a glance from Toothless quickly shut him up. "Oh. Yeah. I kind of... maybe... let him know a bit about our dragons..." he said slowly.

Fishlegs dropped the books that he was holding in shock. "You did _what?_!" he asked, shocked. Of all the people, Hiccup wouldn't be the one to betray their trust. That was the twins or Snotlout's job.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Toothless stood in front of him protectively and grumbled at the other teens in the room. "Not really. I just let him know that we were definitely hiding something. He doesn't know anything other than that. And besides... he's not really smart enough to figure out about the dragons." He remarked, defending his honour.

Fishlegs nodded and calmed down, reaching down to pick up his books. "That's better. Anyway, I was looking for some facts on their dragons... you'll never guess what, Hiccup."

"What?" he asked, slightly curious?

"They have some history on Berk. More to the point, they have history on our _dragon killing ways_." He said the last part quietly so that the dragons in the room wouldn't get upset. Toothless didn't mind, because his rider had never killed a dragon. Couldn't, he was too small. Toothless didn't know whether to be happy or not about it. But the other dragons were sensitive.

Hiccup nodded slowly. "What's it say, Fishlegs?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not much, actually. Just that we killed them. In fact, it says nothing about how we don't any more, which I find strange..."

Hiccup nodded, catching on. "How did Dumbledore know that we don't kill them anymore?"


	4. Chapter 4

Hiccup sat in the common room for most of the next day. He wasn't interested in facing anyone. He wanted to stay inside with his best friend and be left alone. Toothless was all for the idea and helped push the other Vikings out of the room. They had all taken their dragons down to the Forbidden Forest where they would be meeting the keepers to discuss the first task. Hiccup didn't think he needed to be down there to help them, they could handle the dragons on their own.

Toothless grumbled as he shifted his weight, making Hiccup lose his concentration. He laughed and scratched the Night Fury behind his ears on his neck, making him purr slightly and fall to the ground as he moved his hand to the dragon's chin. Hiccup laughed as he watched the ferocious dragon lay happily on the ground, vulnerable and cute.

Hiccup leaned against the dragon and sighed unhappily. Everything they had worked for on Berk was slipping through the gaps. Fishlegs had raised a fair point too, which made Hiccup wonder. The book nerd Viking was pretty clever with things such as facts, but when he didn't know something and couldn't find the answer, it meant there was something that needed to be investigated. So that was what Fishlegs would be doing when he wasn't needed with the dragons.

Toothless sat upright and shot a plasma blast at the fire, instantly creating flames which spread over the logs. Hiccup leaned against his wing and looked at the roof. Toothless turned his scaly head towards the Viking boy and gave him a curious look, to which Hiccup smiled.

"I don't know what to do, bud," Hiccup said softly.

The dragon nudged his shoulder lightly, earning a small chuckle from his Viking. He didn't want anything to happen to his rider just as much as Hiccup didn't want anything happen to Toothless. He was still slightly angry that Hiccup hadn't let him go meet the other dragons - especially since there was one he would know - but he knew Hiccup would take him when he was ready. Toothless could wait for Hiccup forever, as long as he got his way _eventually_.

Hiccup moved his metal leg to look at it sadly. Toothless brought his tail around Hiccup, to remind him of what was there. Or what was _not_ there, as the case may be, because Hiccup had taken off the saddle, and, in turn, the red tailfin.

The metal leg was a strong reminder of the lengths that Toothless would go to save him. The lost limb for the dragon was a harsh reminder that they used to be enemies…that Hiccup had wanted to kill Toothless, to be known throughout the village for _that_ instead of uniting the Vikings and dragons.

Hiccup tapped his prosthetic leg and heard the satisfying _ting_ of the metal. Toothless grumbled, strongly disliking the sound. Hiccup did it once more, for good measure, earning him a hard shove in the side. Hiccup laughed as he was pushed away from the dragon and onto the cold stone floor. He looked up to see a very smug dragon. He rolled his eyes and sat up straight, recovering his former position against the dragon's side.

Toothless put his head on the ground and breathed heavily. Hiccup chuckled to himself as he leaned against the cool scales of the near black but blue dragon. The wing shifted slightly and Hiccup readjusted his position so they would both be comfortable.

Hiccup pulled out his notepad and started to write. He was making a log of the dragons they were training, to see if the ones belonging to the wizarding world were any different from their own kind. It had been Fishlegs' idea, of course, and only he and Hiccup were following through with the idea. Hiccup had taken up training the most deadly of the dragons, the Hungarian Horntail, because _he_ was the dragon the keepers would _never go near_. They were so scared of him that Hiccup couldn't help but laugh.

Fishlegs was taking notes – and training – the Swedish Short Snout, with Astrid on the Welsh Green and the twins and Snotlout working with the Chinese Firebolt. The twins were extremely happy to be working with said dragon because she was _notorious_ for shooting flames _all over_ the camp site.

Hiccup read through his previous notes, which were brief and little, but he'd made more of a start than the others had. They weren't taking it seriously because they didn't really care about the details and advantages of understanding new dragon species. They were all action and no thinking, especially Snotlout.

Toothless looked over Hiccup's shoulder at the sketches he'd already drawn of the Hungarian Horntail. He was a pretty deadly looking dragon, all green with the spikes lining his body. He looked like a deadlier version of the Deadly Nadder. His neck was longer and thinner, with razor sharp wings and a bad attitude. He wasn't the nicest dragon, and his first encounter with Hiccup had been a one off. Hiccup couldn't get close anymore, without fear of losing his other leg. None of the keepers dared to enter his space either, knowing full well that if _Hiccup_ couldn't, they didn't stand a chance. It was Hiccup's job to train that dragon yet he was struggling. Really, the dragon was a nightmare to work with. He kept on shooting fire everywhere, not caring who or what it hit, thumping around in the cage, threatening the lives of everyone who went near it, including the other dragons.

"This dragon is even worse than you were, bud." Hiccup stated, giving Toothless a teasing grin. He grumbled slightly and looked cautiously at the dragon, as though assessing how much of a threat it posed. He snorted and gave Hiccup a slight glare, warning him not to go near the dragon again.

Toothless shook his scales and Hiccup gently patted his wing, scratching where his scales were dry. The dragon grumbled happily, purring in appreciation. The little one legged boy smiled fondly at his best friend as he continued to act like the baby that he was.

Hiccup added another note about how the Hungarian Horntail _ate eels_. There was only one other known dragon that had an odd diet preference and that was the Typhoomerang, a totally new dragon that Hiccup probably wouldn't have met if it hadn't been for the little baby one.

Toothless looked over Hiccup's words and grumbled lowly, baring his teeth slightly. Hiccup gently laid a hand on his nose, settling him down almost instantly. The dragon still wasn't pleased that his best friend was putting his life in danger by being around a dangerous dragon, he didn't need to know that the dragon didn't like Hiccup at all.

"It's alright, bud. I won't let him hurt me," Hiccup assured the dragon. Toothless didn't feel reassured, though. He wanted to meet this dragon, just to make the rules clear. This dragon wasn't going to be messing around with _his_ Hiccup. Not if Toothless had something to say about it.

Hiccup closed his notebook and grabbed his other sketch pad. This one consisted of designs for Toothless' tail among other things. It was his most worn out book, having some drawings of machines that Hiccup had designed before he'd met the dragon, including the one he'd used to shoot down the Night Fury. That was one of the first machines to actually _work_, and he was conflicted as to whether he was happy or not that it did.

Toothless stood up and Hiccup fell back, causing the dragon to laugh in his face. Toothless shifted himself so he was looking directly over Hiccup's shoulder, to see what he was drawing. By the looks of it, Hiccup was sketching some sort of dragon lead. Toothless looked at Hiccup warily. The measurements were all wrong to be of use for Toothless, and the Night Fury knew that Hiccup wouldn't put him on the leash. He was smarter than that.

Hiccup noticed Toothless' curious glance and chuckled slightly. "It's for the Hungarian Horntail. Maybe we could fly him together...maybe after he stretches his wings he might be alright to train," he was very optimistic, Toothless knew this, but it wasn't one of the worst ideas that the Viking had come up with.

Toothless went back to watching him draw the plan. It wasn't very detailed, with Hiccup not knowing many of the materials that would be strong enough to hold the dragon back. Hiccup sighed and closed the book, pressing his fingers to his temple as he relaxed his mind. Toothless nudged him slightly and he hugged his best friend.

"Thanks, bud. I'm sorry. I know this must be really stressful for you," Hiccup stared into Toothless' eyes as he said this. Toothless gave him his famous '_are you kidding me?'_ glance and Hiccup shrugged it off. He wasn't in the mood for Toothless' constant sarcasm, especially when it was at his expense.

Hiccup sighed and looked around the room. "We really need to get this place in some sort of order, there are things _everywhere_," he exclaimed. Being Vikings, they weren't the neatest of people; they didn't have time to bother with that sort of thing. Hiccup knew that being clean was a rarity amongst his house, and amongst his friends. Astrid sometimes tried, but usually gave up very quickly.

Toothless grumbled to himself as he nudged Hiccup in the back. Hiccup spun around to face him, seeing the cute little eyes and the sad face on his best friend. Hiccup rolled his eyes and hugged him before putting a couple more logs onto the fire. Toothless sat on his back legs and watched Hiccup with fascination. He tended to do that, which used to creep Hiccup out, but he was used to it now. Now it was strange if he _didn't_ watch Hiccup's every move.

Once Hiccup was satisfied with his area of the common room (he arranged the couch and pulled the blankets over it for his bed), he walked to the balcony. Toothless followed softly behind and made a gentle sound from his throat, staring at the sky wistfully. Hiccup sighed and shook his head, more to himself than to the dragon.

"Later. We can't go during the day. Harry almost saw us yesterday...that could have been disastrous," he said. Toothless gurgled in acknowledgement and Hiccup smiled, giving him a scratch behind the ears. He still couldn't believe they had been so careless as to fly around the school when there could have been people on the grounds, the thought just hadn't occurred to him at all. When he'd seen Harry outside of the rooms, it had given him a bit of a start.

The door to the common room opened loudly and Hiccup spun around to see who had entered. Astrid stood there with her hands on her hips, smirking at Hiccup. He sighed and pushed himself away from the edge. He walked towards her, smiling slightly.

Astrid opened the door wider and the Deadly Nadder walked through the door. Stormfly croaked before scattering towards the fire, curling into a small ball and closing her eyes. Whatever they'd been doing with the keepers had tired her out, obviously. Toothless glanced at her, conflicted about following his Viking or the dragon.

"You should have seen their faces!" Astrid couldn't keep a straight face, falling into a fit of laughter.

Hiccup looked over at his shoulder, seeing Toothless decide that he should spend some more time with Hiccup. He strolled over on his back legs, his wings casually hanging at his sides, his front legs held in front of him daintily.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked, wanting the details. He wanted to be there, but at the same time he had enjoyed the time with his dragon.

Astrid straightened up and looked at Hiccup. Her cheeks were flushed with laughter, her eyes shining a brilliant blue. Hiccup thought that she looked adorable. "Well, it was really Gobber's idea...but he said we should fly our dragons in...to see their reaction," she paused for a moment, lapsing into another fit of giggles. Hiccup rolled his eyes and sent Toothless a _look_. He returned it, knowing they both thought that Astrid was crazy.

After a moment, the tough Viking girl continued, "So we hopped onto them at the forest edge…I swear Charlie Weasley peed a little when he saw us! It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time!" she exclaimed, falling back over to have another laugh, obviously remembering the hilarious encounter with the so-called 'dragon keepers'.

Hiccup exchanged another look with Toothless. This one was more an '_is she serious_?' kind of look. That was the sort of thing the twins would talk about and laugh over for days, not the sort of thing _Astrid_ would make a fuss over. She was usually the level headed one out of their little group. It must have been pretty funny for Astrid to be _this_ excited over it.

A while later, Astrid recovered. She looked up at Hiccup from her sitting position on the ground. "Anyway, Harry and Hermione are looking for you," she said in her regular voice.

Hiccup gasped slightly, looking slightly concerned. Astrid missed it, but Toothless didn't. He nudged Hiccup slightly, giving him a comforting look. He knew what was going on, Hiccup had told him. It had been bothering him all morning and Toothless had caught on and pressured it out of him. Not that it had been that hard, really. Hiccup found it hard to keep his frustrations private.

Hiccup held onto Toothless for a moment, before sighing. "I'll be back, bud. Then we're going to go and see that dragon...," he sighed resentfully at the thought of the Hungarian Horntail. Luck wasn't on his side with that dragon. Toothless growled at the mention of the other dragon and bared his teeth slightly. Hiccup rolled his eyes and stepped around him.

Astrid held onto Hiccup's hand for a moment, making him turn. She smiled as she said, "We named the dragons. The new ones, at least. And yours? He's _really_ mad," she added, watching Hiccup shiver. "The Swedish Short Snout, Fishlegs called her Moon Finger. My Welsh Green is Grass Glow and, no surprise, the twins named theirs Fire Starter. Snotlout named yours for you," she smirked at Hiccup knowingly as he groaned. "Razor Neck." And the names just got worse.

Hiccup had to try to keep a straight face. Astrid's dragon was slightly strangely named, but the others...they were just bizarre. He understood why the twins would call the fire starting dragon _Fire Starter_, but that was predictable and boring. Couldn't they think of something _original_? Then again, it wouldn't be like they would see the dragons much after the first task anyway. They would leave and _never see these pitiful wizards again_.

Just before he was out the door, Hiccup paused. "Hey, Astrid?" he asked cautiously.

She looked at him, curious. "Yeah?"

"Would you be able to ask the keepers if they have any material that would be strong enough to use as a...leash?" he asked warily, hating to have to resort to such measures. He didn't believe in keeping dragons against their will, but in _Razor Neck's_ case, he had to make an exception.

She nodded slowly, looking between him and the Night Fury. "For Toothless?" she asked, slightly concerned.

Hiccup quickly shook his head, making sure that Toothless saw as well. "NO! Of course not! It's for _Razor Neck_. I think he just needs to have a fly around...it would be safer for all of us with Toothless around," he hurried to explain. Gosh, he wasn't going to use any sort of restraints for his dragon. Toothless didn't need them, nor should he have them anyway. He was a good dragon.

Astrid relaxed slightly. "Yeah, sure, I can do that. Now you go and find Harry and Hermione. They'll probably be in the great hall since classes are finished," she said.

Hiccup glanced up. "That late already? I promised Hagrid he'd get to meet Toothless today…," he sighed.

Astrid rolled her eyes and looked over at Toothless. He gave her a gummy smile and turned to Hiccup. The Vikings both laughed at the silly dragon. "I'm sure they won't mind if you go in later. I believe they need to feed Razor Neck," she added with a smirk.

Hiccup blanched. He did not want to deal with that dragon anytime soon. Toothless picked up on his sour mood and purred loudly. He smiled and announced he would be back later. Astrid waved good bye and Toothless watched him leave the room, following his every movement until he closed the door. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he heard the dragon's sad moaning from behind the door. He headed straight down the stairs and towards the great hall, hoping all the wizards weren't there. If he could just have a conversation with Harry and Hermione in private, it would be better for everyone.

* * *

After walking around the school for a while, Hiccup finally found the great hall. He never had been good at remembering his way around places which was why he tended to rely on maps. However, he hadn't been provided with one for the school so he would just have to make do.

Hiccup found Harry and Hermione deep in conversation at the head of the Gryffindor table. Much to Hiccup's annoyance, Malfoy and his goons sat on the table next to them, lost in their own world. Hiccup headed to his two friends – if he could call them that – and sat down opposite the pair. They looked at him and beamed, extending their conversation to him.

Hermione was talking about how Harry should get ready for all sorts of things that the first task could throw at them. Harry looked pretty nervous, though the task wasn't for another month or so. He shouldn't have been stressing, it was Hiccup that had the real challenge. He had the nightmare task of training and getting that beast of a dragon to behave and tone down the aggression.

"Do you have any ideas as to what the first task could be?" Hermione asked Hiccup suddenly.

He shook his head slowly, his eyes betraying his answer. How could he lie? These were people who liked him enough to talk to him, and he kept on keeping secrets. Maybe he could give drop some hints...or maybe he shouldn't. It was against the rules for him to tell anyone the contents of a task. Then again, Hiccup wasn't a wizard so maybe those rules didn't apply to him.

"Only a hunch," at least that wasn't a complete lie.

Hermione and Harry exchanged excited glances. "Care to share?" she asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "It's not something that I can tell you. You're not supposed to tell the champions what the first task is or what it contains," he said.

They both sighed and nodded, understanding why he wasn't saying anything. After a moment of thoughtful silence, Harry abruptly changed the topic. "So, what's your home like, anyway?" he asked.

Hiccup perked up. "It's cold. The type of climate that will give you frostbite on your spleen," he laughed at their horrified expressions. "My village is…sturdy. Berk is pretty old but every single building is new. We have fishing, hunting and a charmingview of the sunsets," he explained.

Harry nodded slowly, trying to picture it. "Sounds nice."

Hiccup laughed. "It's really not. It snows nine months of the year and hails the other three." He didn't dislike the cold, it was more that he didn't like the hail. Sometimes that hail could knock someone off their dragon - which had never happened to Hiccup - and Snotlout had firsthand experience with the dangers of flying in hail.

The two wizards looked at each other before looking worriedly back at Hiccup. "It sounds dangerous. Where about _is_ Berk, anyway?" Hermione asked curiously.

Hiccup paused for a moment. "Well, its twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. Located solidly on the Meridian of Misery but I think that's just a saying, I've never come across a place called Freezing to Death or Hopeless. It's just something we Vikings like to say," he chuckled to himself.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Do you have any pets?"

Hiccup smiled inwardly at this one. Well, if you could count fire breathing dragons as pets, then yes. Some Vikings did consider them pets, but Hiccup liked to think of Toothless as nothing less than his best friend. "Well, sort of," he said slowly.

Harry wanted to ask more, Hiccup could see it in his eyes, but something held him back. Instead, he said, "What kinds of animals do you have?"

This made Hiccup chuckle again. "I have a giant lizard - he's _huge_ - others have smaller lizards, one has sheep but we don't like to talk about him," he shivered at the thought of Mildew. He was the definition of a horrible Viking, with his constant death wish for all the dragons.

Hermione nodded slowly. "Wow, I've never heard of a giant lizard before."

Hiccup snickered to himself. Boy, were they in for a shock if they ever met Toothless. That wasn't something Hiccup wanted to miss - they would probably drop dead from shock or something.

Someone walked up behind Hiccup and he sensed the anger in the person's stance. Harry's face hardened too, which prompted Hiccup to turn around. It surprised him to see it was a positively seething Ron.

Harry stood up so he wasn't below Ron. They had a tough stare off, which neither of them really won and wasted some time.

"Spending your time with the Vikings now? Trying to see if they can give you any pointers?" Ron spat harshly, making Hiccup flinch.

He tried to interject before Harry could, but the other boy was quicker. "Yes, because he is _totally_ going to help me get famous," he snapped.

Ron glared at Harry harshly. "Either that or helping you prepare for your next interview," he retorted.

Harry rolled his eyes and resumed his glare. "For the last time Ron, _she made everything up_!" he yelled.

Ron glared at him full force. "Sure, sure, because I believe the little liar who wouldn't admit to putting his name in the Goblet."

"I didn't put my name in that Goblet, someone _else_ did. Do you really think I would _want_ to put my life at risk for _money _and _fame_?" Harry asked rhetorically.

Ron shrugged stiffly. "Who knows?" he spat.

"Because being the boy who lived isn't famous enough!" Harry angrily said.

Ron shrugged once more. "I wouldn't know. I'm not the liar here. Believe what you want, Harry."

Hiccup stood there watching the two angrily exchange words. They were clearly in a rough spot. It reminded him of the time he'd been angry with Astrid for no apparent reason. She wasn't exactly in the best of sorts for a while and they didn't talk. Of course, Toothless was loving it, but Hiccup felt constant guilt. What kind of friend would he be if he didn't feel slightly bad to be avoiding the other?

Hiccup stood up and darted around Ron. "As fun as this isn't, I have somewhere else to be," he didn't stick around long enough for them to reply.

Without warning, Hiccup tripped over something and landed heavily on his stomach. He groaned as he looked up, seeing a smirking Malfoy looking down at him. He grumbled to himself as he pushed himself up. Malfoy stood up and was instantly flanked by his two goons. Hiccup scowled at them both.

"Enjoy your trip? I thought I'd catch you next fall," Malfoy snickered, earning a high five from his two goons. Hiccup glared at him, which had absolutely no impact on the pale haired boy.

"You laugh now Malfoy but I assure you, if you'd met Toothless, you wouldn't be so pleased with yourself," Hiccup said before getting the hell out of there, not waiting for him to answer. Malfoy aggravated Hiccup more than Snotlout usually did, and that was saying something.

Heading straight for the tower, Hiccup knew he still needed to go and see the dragons. He kept sighing to himself as he ascended the steps to get Toothless. On the way up, he heard the sounds of scratching against the stone walls. He wasn't very surprised to hear a whining voice, which he knew recognised as Toothless's. He rolled his eyes as he opened the door.

Toothless instantly jumped onto Hiccup, knocking them both to the floor. Hiccup laughed as the dragon presented him with a long line of saliva down his chest. He shoved Toothless off and hugged his neck, before shaking off the excess saliva. The dragon was always so _excited_, which wasn't a bad thing, of course, just unnecessary sometimes.

Hiccup laughed as Toothless sat up and made gurgling sounds from the back of his throat. "Yeah, I know you're all alone, bud. Did they go back to see the dragons?" he asked Toothless.

Toothless nodded his head slightly, confirming Hiccup's suspicions. The dragon didn't like to be on his own for too long, and Hiccup didn't usually like the result. He could go slightly crazy, becoming more attached to Hiccup, as he'd just shown. Hiccup didn't like to leave him on his own either, but it was more to do with the fact he was his best friend and he couldn't imagine life without Toothless.

"Well, let's go and see Razor Neck then. I'm sure this will be interesting," he finally said. Toothless grumbled lowly in the back of his throat, not wanting Hiccup to be near the dangerous dragon. Hiccup smiled and gently scratched the dragon's neck. Toothless purred and gave Hiccup the big eyes he adored.

Hiccup quickly put the dragon's saddle on and they dashed over to the balcony. They still had a few hours before dinner, but classes were over which meant it would be dangerous to fly the dragon and walk the halls with him.

Toothless waited for Hiccup to settle in the saddle before spreading his wings and taking off towards the keepers. Hiccup steered the dragon, but only lightly, knowing that Toothless was fully capable of listening to his voice instead of the steering system he'd created for the dragon. It was more for holding onto him so he didn't fall off.

They landed in the centre of the clearing, surrounded by the other Vikings and the three keepers. Hiccup laughed at the shocked faces as they stared at the Night Fury in the centre of the clearing. Toothless growled as he looked at all the caged dragons, not liking it at all. He stared at the baby dragon and hissed at the keeper next to it. Hiccup laid a gentle hand on Toothless, preventing him from doing something he'd regret later.

Astrid ran over to Hiccup and beamed, quickly followed by the blue and purple Nadder. Stormfly stood protectively behind Astrid, shielding her from the keepers view. She was pretty clever like that, just like Toothless, although he was more extreme.

"What did Harry and Hermione want?" she asked worriedly.

Hiccup shrugged. "Not much. She wanted to know more about Berk, so I told her," he explained blandly. She shot him a surprised look. He quickly added, "I didn't tell her anything about the dragons. I just said we had big lizards for pets."

She laughed and nudged his arm lightly, not wanting to do it too hard because he was sitting on Toothless, and the repercussions could be pretty disastrous for her. "Well, they sort of are," she said happily, walking back over to her chosen dragon. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he watched her leave. Her dragon was warming up to her already, she barely had anything left to do. Grass Glow was a pretty easy going creature, so Hiccup had been told.

Charlie walked over to Hiccup cautiously. The Viking hopped off the dragon and stood facing the keeper, standing in front of Toothless to prevent the dragon from attacking. Toothless bared his teeth and hissed loudly, making it clear to Charlie that he wasn't to take another step closer.

"Hiccup, I thought that you wouldn't be coming in today," Charlie said, standing as far away from Hiccup and the deadly dragon as he could.

Hiccup shrugged casually and grinned. "I wouldn't miss the chance to nearly get killed by Razor Neck," he exclaimed, making Toothless turn his attention to said dragon. Razor Neck was prowling around his large cage, hot steam breath escaping his nose every moment or two. His wings were opened and he wasn't hiding his anger at all. Toothless didn't want his Viking around this dragon. Hiccup wasn't strong enough and he knew it, but Toothless would be around to make sure the dragon behaved himself.

Charlie smiled slightly. "I'm sure you wouldn't. Who's this one, then?" he asked, gesturing to Toothless.

Hiccup patted Toothless on the head, earning a slight nudge to keep it up. He smiled and scratched behind his chin and laughed as the dangerous dragon made purring sounds, giving him a bad image. He looked anything _but_ deadly. "This is Toothless, he's my best friend and a Night Fury," he emphasised Night Fury, because he knew Charlie wouldn't have a clue what breed this was.

Charlie swallowed slightly, looking nervous. "He won't hurt you?" he asked nervously.

Toothless gave him the _'are you insane_?' look, which Hiccup chuckled at. "Everyone else but not me," he assured him.

It wasn't comforting for Charlie to hear that the dragon didn't do too well with other people. Hiccup didn't really want other people going near his dragon anyway, and he was pleased to see that Toothless didn't want anyone else near him anyway. It was pretty easy to tell who the dragon belonged to. Or which _Viking_ belonged to _Toothless_, as the case may be. Toothless was pretty possessive of the scrawny, one legged Viking boy.

As if someone had shocked him, Charlie stood up straight and was back in business. "Well, Razor Neck needs some attention, you've got some work to do. We're going to be starting the real training next week which gives us two weeks before the task to get them ready," he explained, his voice formal and stern.

Hiccup nodded and sighed. "Of course. Thanks for the heads up." He looked up at Toothless who sat on his hind legs and followed the Viking.

They walked slowly over to the angry Hungarian Horntail. Hiccup swallowed as he gathered his courage and stood in front of the dragon. Razor Neck growled loudly and faced Hiccup. Toothless snarled at him, effectively shutting the larger dragon up. Hiccup laid a gentle hand on Toothless, restraining him from doing anything that could get him hurt.

"Hey, mate. You know I won't hurt you," Hiccup said gently as he stepped closer to the cage. Razor Neck breathed a heavy bout of fire and Toothless barely covered the Viking in time. He wrapped his wings around the boy protectively and aimed his most deadly glare at the Hungarian Horntail. Hiccup knew this would take a while.

Toothless let go of Hiccup once he was sure that he wasn't hurt from the fire. Hiccup had to admit, he wasn't expecting the blast. He watched helplessly as Toothless snarled at the larger, spikier dragon in the cage. The Night Fury snarled and shot a warning plasma blast at the floor of the cage. Razor Neck instantly hung his head in apology. He didn't seem to like Night Fury's, which made Hiccup wonder.

"It's alright bud, he didn't hurt me," Hiccup gently soothed the dragon and stepped back up to the cage. Razor Neck snarled and turned on his two legs to spin around, effectively shutting Hiccup out and turning his back on him rudely.

Hiccup sighed. This was going to take a _long _time.

* * *

After the incident with Ron in the hall, Hermione had dragged Harry off to the library. She'd apparently gotten some great idea about how to find out more about the Vikings. Harry wasn't too keen, but he didn't put up a fight. He didn't need to learn anything more than what Hiccup had told him. He trusted Hiccup enough to believe that nothing bad was really happening with them and he didn't want to dig into their personal history.

Hermione was looking through the history section when she let out a loud "yes!" and almost had them kicked out of the library. Harry rolled his eyes as they sat down at one of the numerous tables inside the library.

"I knew Hiccup didn't tell us everything," she muttered to herself as she read through the long and winded passages in the book.

Harry looked over her shoulder sceptically, not liking the looks of these pages. Among them he saw a bunch of runes and what looked to be a torn out page. He realised it had been pasted into the book, from another one. Hermione didn't seem to care, but Harry thought it was strange. Surely they didn't have actual evidence from another book? That would mean this was the only copy...

After a while of sitting there blankly, Harry decided to go and find a book for himself. He looked through many on creatures until he came across one that interested him. It was written by muggles, but had somehow found its way into a magical library. Harry read the title and chuckled to himself. Of course, muggles didn't know these creatures actually existed, but that didn't mean their information was incorrect.

Sitting back next to Hermione, Harry opened _A Tour of Mystical Beings_ and looked at the contents. There were some creatures in there that Hagrid had shown the kids in his Care of Magical Creature's classes and Harry was familiar with. One creature really got Harry's attention; dragons. He thoughtfully turned to the page, looking at the graphic images of people slaying the beasts. He had never really learnt about dragons, not really believing they existed. He knew one of Ron's brothers worked with them in Romania, though, which confirmed their existence.

Hermione looked up and over Harry's shoulder, grimacing at the gruesome images. She didn't care much for violence, especially towards creatures that weren't treated fairly to begin with.

They lapsed back into silence for a while, Hermione and Harry both humming to themselves in their heads. Thoughts swirled around Harry's head as he read about the numerous different types of dragons that resided around the world. They didn't sound believable, though, with such farfetched names. They mentioned how the different dragons spawned in different seasons, while others were born from dark magic.

Hermione gasped suddenly, shaking Harry's shoulder violently. He looked up at her, wide eyed, as she looked like she'd seen a ghost. "They kill dragons!" she exclaimed in a whisper, barely loud enough for Harry to hear her. He could tell why Hermione was so shocked since he didn't think dragons were _real_, let alone hunted. Shouldn't they cherish having such unique creatures in their world?

"Does it say people in Berk do?" he asked curiously. It wasn't really his business, but he would have liked to know if Hiccup was a dragon slayer. The Viking looked too weak to kill a person, let alone a _dragon_.

Hermione nodded slowly, her eyes still wide in shock. "Yeah, this book is all about different Viking civilisations. It mentions Berk and how many generations have grown up to kill the dragons on their island. It doesn't say why or how though," she explained.

Harry sighed slightly. He still couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hiccup was a dragon killer? How could someone as small like him kill something as big and dangerous as a dragon? Didn't he have a _heart_? Well, they _were_ Vikings, known to kill anything without a second thought. But _Hiccup_? That didn't seem right.

Hermione nodded and sighed deeply. She closed the book and gave Harry a sorrowful look. "I don't think these Vikings are people we should be hanging out with, Harry."

For once, he agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

The Vikings had been at Hogwarts for a week now, meaning the first task was in two. Harry wasn't happy about either. Ever since he and Hermione had discovered the Vikings were killing the dragons, they were avoiding them. Luckily, it wasn't that hard since the Vikings never seemed to be at the tables when it came to meal times. Gobber always sat at the teacher's table, but apart from him, there weren't any Vikings around.

Harry didn't know if he was sad or not about finding out the Vikings slayed dragons. He'd lost most of his respect for the one legged, scrawny Viking. The only thing that he could still say was: 'how could he have managed to kill those beasts?' Unless they were miniature, Harry knew there was no _way_ Hiccup could have managed without help.

Hermione had been dragging Harry towards the common room for the past few moments, she didn't like how Harry and Ron were treating each other. She was torn between spending time with her smart best friend, or the one that constantly needed her help for homework.

"Come on, Hermione. This is never going to work," Harry muttered as they entered the common room. Unsurprisingly, there were a bunch of Gryffindor occupying the space. Ron happened to be sitting with his brothers at the tables to the left, snickering every so often.

Hermione dragged Harry over to the red headed boy, making the twins scatter. They gave Harry a quick glance, not understanding Ron's issue with Harry, before leaving the common room all together. Harry sensed a plan forming in their minds, but didn't say anything.

Ron looked up and sneered at Harry. "What, Hermione not good enough as a friend now, Liar?" he leered. Ron had taken the name 'Liar' for Harry and it managed to aggravate him to no extent. It was extremely annoying and Ron knew this, which was why he called him that in the first place.

Harry sighed. "Ron, you _know_ I didn't put my name in that goblet," he said softly, his voice slightly pleading. As much as he loved Hermione as a friend, he missed being able to talk to Ron about almost anything, even late at night when they were about to go to bed.

Ron glanced up at Harry sceptically. "Really? Because it seems to me as though you're lapping all of this fame up," he spat.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Really? Ron, you know me better than _anyone_. Would I really want the fame?"

Ron looked up slowly. He shook his head slightly and sighed. "No, I guess not. I don't know, Harry...," he admitted.

Harry laughed slightly, despite how serious the situation was. "Of course, take your time. Just know, Ron, I'm still your friend," he turned to leave, all this sentimental crap giving him a headache, when he was stopped by a voice. It was one of the best things he'd heard in a long time.

"Leaving without your best friend?" Ron asked lightly, hopping up and standing next to Harry. Harry laughed, feeling lightheaded. Hermione's tactics had finally worn down Ron, which was really good for all three of them. Now they were the trio they should be.

Being as it was the weekend, they had no classes and they were free to do what they pleased on campus. That meant that they could stroll around and not worry about homework. Of course, Hermione being _Hermione_, was always stressed, but even she toned it down for the pair.

They sat down outside the school grounds on the grass, talking about random things like how they were glad to be back as a group, how boring classes were, or how annoying Malfoy was being. They avoided the impending Tournament, which Harry was completely fine with since he did not want to think about his inevitable doom.

After a while, they lapsed into a comfortable silence and Harry felt himself smile. He had his best friend back and he couldn't have been happier. It had been pretty uncomfortable for them all when they had been separated. But as much as he tried, he couldn't completely take his mind off Hiccup.

The one legged Viking didn't seem like the type to kill anything, let alone a _dragon_. Harry couldn't put his finger on why, but he knew there was no way such a small boy could _ever_ kill one. He just didn't think it was possible, but he kept his thoughts to himself, unwilling to ruin the happy moment they were having.

Harry wondered for a moment; Ron and Harry were best friends, and it had been a nightmare while they were fighting. What if Hiccup had a best friend that he couldn't bring to Hogwarts with him? Was he missing his best friend? Harry felt his heart ache for the small boy at the thought of him being sad. It just wasn't right, nothing about the Viking made sense.

Hermione looked over to Harry and laughed. "What are you thinking about, Harry?" she asked lightly.

Harry shrugged and looked away, feeling his cheeks flush slightly. "Not much, Hermione," he replied.

Ron sat up straight and looked at him, smirking slightly. "Oh, there is definitely something that I _missed_, isn't there, Harry?" he teased.

Harry put his head in his hands and shook his head. He started to laugh and his body shook from the force of it. "Guys, lay off it. It's none of your business...," he said, but there was no force behind it that told them to back off. Instead, they pressed further.

Hermione chuckled and looked away. "Come on, Harry. We all know that look."

"What look?" Harry's head shot up, giving her a questioning glance.

Ron laughed as he caught on to what Hermione was implying. "The _look_, Harry. You're thinking about someone."

Harry sighed and shook his head slowly, smiling slightly. "Guys, if I liked someone in _that way_, I would have told you by now. So you know as well as I do that I _don't_," he said.

They laughed and shook him off, falling back into the grass. Harry found himself blushing further, not knowing how exactly to hide it. They couldn't have thought that he actually liked someone, though, right? Sure, he liked plenty of girls, but not in _that way_. Then there was Hiccup...but there weren't words for the way Harry felt about _him_.

Harry watched the Forbidden Forest for a moment, staring at it but thinking of Hiccup. Now that he'd thought of it, he couldn't help but wonder if Hiccup had friends back on Berk. Were they killing dragons and beating the high scores? Harry had so many questions, but he couldn't bring himself to actually _talk_ to Hiccup; it would be far too awkward for his liking.

A movement caught Harry's eye and he looked up at it. His eyes fell on a person walking out of the forest slowly, a limp evident even from this distance. Harry looked closer as the figure emerged and saw that it was Hiccup.

Harry watched as the scrawny boy limped across the lawn and towards the castle. Harry couldn't stand it anymore and stood up, earning him a strange look from both his friends. They followed his eyes and saw Hiccup. While Hermione glared at him, Ron grinned and hopped up. Harry jogged over to Hiccup, startling him out of whatever thoughts he'd been in.

"Oh, Harry, I didn't see you there," Hiccup said, though his normally happy voice was strained. Harry noticed his harsh limp, on his one good leg. His face was covered in dirt, and what seemed to be burn marks. His arms had scrapes and cuts along them, some older than others. Harry felt a pang of sorrow for the Viking, knowing there was little he could do for him.

"Are you alright, Hiccup?" Harry asked worriedly.

Hiccup shrugged and continued to take weak steps. His prosthetic leg didn't provide much balance, but his wounded leg seemed worse off than his metal one. Harry felt incredibly bad for him, despite the dragons that he could have killed.

"I'm alright, it's nothing I haven't dealt with before," Hiccup said.

Harry knew what that meant: the Viking had been injured in battle and he was used to the pain. Somehow, Harry felt guilty...he knew it wasn't a good thing. Hermione would have his head for saying that about the killer of dragons. "Do you need any help?" he asked worriedly.

Hiccup shook his head and determinedly took another step. Unfortunately for him, his metal leg buckled and he almost fell to the ground, had Harry not seen it happening and caught him just before he hit the ground. Hiccup fell straight into Harry's arms and Harry almost grinned, but decided against it.

"Oh. Maybe help would be nice," Hiccup muttered, more to himself than to Harry.

Harry grinned and helped Hiccup back to his feet. "Where are we headed?" he asked happily. He was enjoying this far too much, but he couldn't help himself. Ron gave him a funny look, then looked back at Hiccup.

Hiccup shrugged. "I was going to go back to the tower, see my friends and all, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to climb all the steps," he muttered.

Harry looked over at Ron, giving him a nod. Ron returned it and stepped closer to Hiccup. "We can help you," Harry said, lifting his arm around the Vikings shoulder and helping to take the weight off his leg. Ron did the same with the other side and Hiccup was effortlessly picked up off the ground. Harry was surprised by how light the Viking was, despite everything.

Ron looked as though he was itching to ask Hiccup something. Hiccup sighed and gave Ron the 'go ahead' look. Ron grinned. "How's everything going?" he implied something, but Harry couldn't tell what it was.

"Horrible," Hiccup stated sadly.

Ron looked to Harry with a sad smile. Harry knew that whatever it was that they were talking about, it wasn't something that Harry was allowed to know. "What happened this time?"

Hiccup sighed angrily. "Well, I'd love to say that my idiot friend was there, but he wasn't fast enough. Actually, he was paying more attention to the keepers for once...so yeah. He got me a good one," he gestured down to his good leg with a pained expression.

Harry felt another throb at the thought that the young Viking was in pain. He didn't know what he could do and he just seemed so young, so innocent. Harry thought over Hiccup's words after a moment. He had been doing something dangerous, something his friends couldn't stop. This was something Hermione would be able to help with, it wasn't Harry's cup of tea.

Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, I doubt he'll be letting you out of your sight now," he smirked knowingly.

Hiccup grimaced. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," he muttered. He looked up at the tower for a moment before looking back at Ron. They seemed to share a knowing look and Harry felt himself get angry. He wanted to know what it was that they were talking about. He didn't like being left in the dark.

They entered the building and Harry sighed to himself. He didn't listen to Hiccup and Ron's conversation, since he wasn't going to understand a word of it. Instead he let his mind wander. He didn't think of how Hiccup killed dragons, instead he imagined Hiccup being a wizard, being one of Harry's own friends. He imagined being able to just talk to Hiccup freely without worrying of saying the wrong thing. Just talking, as he did with Ron and Hermione. It would have been nice to be friends with Hiccup, Harry thought, or even more. But he doubted Hiccup felt the same way.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Hiccup gave the two wizards a farewell smile before darting inside. Harry sighed to himself as they headed down the stairs to their own common room. They heard thumping upstairs but didn't think anything of it. It was completely normal: they'd heard it for the past few weeks.

Hermione was sitting by the fire in the common room, her eyes focused on the fire, but her thoughts clearly elsewhere. Harry jumped onto the couch next to her and beamed at her. She startled and hit Harry lightly for scaring her. He chuckled to himself as she recovered and gave him a weak smile.

"Where did you guys go?" she asked, but she knew exactly where they had gone. She still didn't like Hiccup, or any of his group, and Harry knew that she had good reason. He still didn't trust Hiccup completely, or like that he killed dragons, but he couldn't help the way he felt.

Ron sat on the other side of Hermione and beamed. "We were talking to Hiccup. You won't _believe_ what he's going through at the moment," he snickered, obviously pleased with Hiccup's current weak state.

Hermione glared at Ron. She still hadn't told him what they'd found out, of course, being that she hadn't talked to him in the whole week. "Ron, you know they kill dragons?" she asked softly, but her voice still the same confident one they'd come to know.

Ron paused for a moment, blinking slowly, before laughing slightly. "Well, yeah, I do. But, they don't any_more_," he informed the pair.

Harry looked at Hermione sceptically. Had they heard right? And how did _Ron_ know? He seemed like the least likely of people to know such facts ahead of time. He must have found out before Hermione - which would make her angry - and then asked Hiccup himself. That seemed like the only logical explanation for such statements.

"Really? How do you know, Ron?" Hermione asked. Harry could already feel his heart lifting before reminding himself not to get too optimistic.

Ron rolled his eyes. "I can't tell you _that_, what with Harry here and everything, but _trust_ me, he doesn't kill them," he joked.

Hermione nodded, giving Harry a look. Harry held up his hands and laughed, hopping up off the couch. She rolled her eyes and watched as he darted out of the room. Much as he wanted to hear about how Ron knew that Hiccup didn't kill the dragons, he was too happy to learn that they didn't. He didn't have to worry about him being a killer anymore. His heart felt strangely light, as though nothing bad could happen for a while. But he knew, what with everything going on, something bad was bound to go wrong. He still needed to talk to that new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, he'd asked to see Harry earlier, but he was too busy with his friends.

Harry shook his head and sat on his bead lazily, closing his eyes as positive thoughts swirled around his head. He felt like he was up in the clouds, but he couldn't explain why. He imagined it had something to do with the cute little Viking upstairs somewhere, the one that didn't kill dragons.

* * *

Hiccup leaned against Toothless painfully. His leg was throbbing mercilessly, with no way to ease it. Gobber had suggested they chop it off, but Toothless and Hiccup had been quick to object. Upon closer inspection, it was just a deep cut, nothing too deadly. Toothless was feeling incredibly bad; his Viking was injured because of him. But Hiccup had been quick to point out that there wasn't anything that he could have done, and he was glad that Toothless had been watching the keepers as well. They were starting to get on his nerves. Nobody dared get close to Razor Neck - nobody except Hiccup - so when the keepers were on his case, saying that he wasn't doing a good enough job with the dragon, well, he got pretty mad. He'd like to see _them_ go near him when he's angry.

Toothless looked over Hiccup's shoulder sadly. Hiccup looked up into his emerald eyes and smiled, glad to just have Toothless around. If Astrid was here, he would never hear the end of it. She would complain that he was a weakling, which might have been true, but Hiccup wasn't about to admit that to anyone else. Toothless didn't need Hiccup to say anything which was one of the many reasons they were so good together.

Hiccup sighed deeply as he relaxed into Toothless's side. The dragon curved his body to make it easier for him to do so, but also so it was comfortable for him. Hiccup looked up at the roof of their room sadly. The rest of the dragons were all doing so well, it was just Razor Neck that posed a problem. Hiccup had to go out at night to see them, simply because Razor Neck was just too _dangerous_ during the day. He'd made the mistake of going earlier when he thought it would be fine, and came back with the injuries. Not that he wouldn't receive them anyway, but they were worse during the day.

"We're never going to be able to train him, Toothless," Hiccup said sadly.

Toothless gave Hiccup his cute eye. Hiccup smiled and scratched his chin weakly. The dragon purred happily as he put his head on the floor and let Hiccup stop scratching him. Hiccup rolled his eyes at the dragon. So much for comfort, he thought.

Hiccup's thoughts went over the past week. While the Vikings had had more work down with the keepers and their dragons, Hiccup helped with the others as well. He didn't go near Razor Neck until after sun down. As for the leash, well, they hadn't gotten around to building it. The keepers had suggested a material they could use which would be strong enough but the only downside was that they had to ask _Dumbledore_ for it. So that wasn't happening any time soon.

The Vikings had been so busy that they had to be given their meals in their rooms, or sometimes at Hagrid's. Hagrid loved Toothless the most out of the Vikings dragons, but that wasn't a surprise. Toothless was pretty deadly and an extremely cool dragon. Hiccup was biased too, but most of the other villagers thought so too, and they were envious of the Night Fury.

With so many things going on, Hiccup hadn't been able to talk to his new friends. Well, he thought they were. About a week ago, there was a day it seemed like they were avoiding him. Of course, Ron still spoke to him, but Ron wasn't talking to Harry, and they were the main issue. Hiccup figured it had to do with something he'd said…but then Harry came to help when his leg had been at its worst.

Hiccup's thoughts went over to Ron. As the brother of one of the keepers, Ron spent a heap of time with him. Despite the Forbidden Forest being...well, _forbidden_, he still managed to spend time there. He'd met Toothless on numerous occasions and thought he was pretty neat. Toothless, however, wasn't fond of the red head and Hiccup understood it, however strange it was.

The day was nearing its end, which sadly meant that Hiccup would have to work with Razor Neck. He would eat in the hall before going down since his friends had all agreed that they would try to eat with everyone else. They knew that it would be strange if they _never_ ate with the rest of the school so they would be eating with the others today, Hiccup still had time before they would be back, though.

Hiccup closed his eyes as he allowed himself to shut himself off for a while. He felt Toothless shift beneath him, getting himself into a comfortable position to sleep in. Hiccup smiled as he let his mind wander aimlessly, nothing really sticking into one thought. He was so tired, everything was just jumbled.

The dragons were too much work for Hiccup to handle, Razor Neck especially, and none of his friends were willing to go near him. It was just Hiccup, and it wasn't working very well. Though Razor Neck didn't want to attack Toothless, he was still bold enough to attack Hiccup. That made Toothless even angrier and Razor Neck knew to never do it when Toothless was paying attention. There were the few occasions where he was too stupid to remember the Night Fury, and things were sorted out quickly.

Hiccup had received several injuries on numerous accounts but the leg hurt more than anything he'd received before. The others were scratches, nothing he wouldn't get when flying on Toothless, and nothing he wasn't used to.

Hearing a knock, Hiccup sat up instantly. He watched as the door opened slowly, leading two figures inside. Hiccup scowled as he noticed Dumbledore and the new teacher, Professor Alastor Moody. He was the defence against the dark arts and many students had called him Mad Eye. Hiccup didn't like him any more than he liked the keepers, or any of the wizards, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He had to admit, he was slightly frightened by the man.

Toothless leapt to his feet and stood wearily behind Hiccup. The one legged boy slowly rose to his feet, losing his balance slightly and being caught by Toothless. He thanked the dragon and earned a low grumble in return.

Dumbledore stood looking at Hiccup expectantly. Hiccup sighed and stood straight, addressing both the teachers with a nod. They returned it, slightly stiffly. Hiccup almost rolled his eyes, but resisted. These people wouldn't have come here if they hadn't meant business.

"Hiccup, I'm sure you've met Professor Moody?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes shining happily. Apparently having the other Professor here gave the headmaster a sense of happiness. Hiccup wondered who this teacher really was. He'd heard rumours that he was an _auror_, but he hadn't a clue what that meant.

The Viking nodded slowly. "On an occasion," he replied.

Professor Moody grinned, his glass eye watching the dragon wearily. Hiccup found the eye gross, it was like one of the Viking's on Berk, but instead it moved to where the teacher wanted to look. It was creepy beyond belief yet Hiccup thought it would be pretty handy. If he had to lose an eye, he'd want a replacement like this one.

Dumbledore nodded and stepped forward, crossing his pale arms across his robes to meet in the middle. "Right. Well, as you're aware, young Harry is entering the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore started. Hiccup nodded, despite everything. He did understand this but he also knew where it was going. Dumbledore would want something from the Viking like he always did. They never had a conversation that didn't involve their _deal_, or something along those lines.

Professor Moody stepped forward, leaning heavily on his wooden stick. For such a short man, he did a good job of intimidating Hiccup. Not that that was a hard thing to do, of course, just that he did a _good job_. "We can't risk anything happening to the young lad," he spoke harshly and in a tongue that made little sense to Hiccup, yet he understood what he was saying.

"You want me to make the dragons too easy for Harry so that he doesn't have any drama?" Hiccup asked, rolling his eyes. He hoped they didn't mean that, because, let's face it, there was no _way_ Hiccup could get Razor Neck to do _anything_ he wanted. There was just _no way_.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, that would be preferable but, as I am to understand, you have had some difficulties with one of the dragons?" he asked sceptically.

Hiccup sighed and nodded. "Yeah, he doesn't let anyone near him," he admitted. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't train this dragon. It was like the Whispering Death that wanted so badly to kill Toothless. He couldn't train that one. Now he seemed to be having the same troubles, but on a different scale. At least the Whispering Death hadn't hurt him, just scared him a bit.

Professor Moody looked thoughtful as he leant on the cane. "There are several things we could do to help you, if you so desire," he started.

Hiccup hurried to shake his head. "That won't be necessary; I just need time. Toothless and I can do this as long as no one does anything _stupid_ around him, I know that we can do it," he said determinedly.

Dumbledore smiled. "That's good to hear, Hiccup. As I'm sure you're aware, if this doesn't work out, the dragons won't live for very long." Without waiting for Hiccup to say anything, he turned to leave. Professor Moody hung back for a moment, giving Toothless the once over. He shook his head angrily as he, too, left the tower.

Hiccup turned to Toothless angrily. Toothless looked pretty unhappy too, with the lives of the dragons being threatened and all that. It was pretty bad for a dragon to have to hear that sort of thing. Hiccup understood it too because when they'd first met, Toothless wasn't exactly Hiccup's favourite dragon.

Looking around, Hiccup sighed. "We have to make sure that this works, bud," Hiccup said sadly.

Toothless purred and pushed against Hiccup lightly. He grinned and hugged his neck happily. Even when the dragon was sad, he always found a way to cheer up his Viking. He sat back on his hind legs as Hiccup stood back and looked around the room.

"Well, I'm starving," he stated, his mood lifting completely. Toothless grumbled in agreement. Hiccup knew that Toothless would be getting food eventually, but from some unknown source. As for Hiccup, the dinner was almost ready. He would have to head down soon so that he would be there on time and wouldn't have to limp in with everyone watching him.

Toothless ran over to the fire happily. Hiccup rolled his eyes and called out a farewell, before heading out the stairs. The dragon watched Hiccup limp out the door, slightly ashamed, yet he knew there wasn't anything he could do. Toothless breathed heavily and closed his eyes, moving closer to the fire.

Hiccup chuckled to himself as he left the tower and headed down the numerous stairs. He wasn't in his right mind as he landed on the last step, almost toppling over. He grabbed hold of the rail for support and sighed angry to himself. It was just his luck that he had a bung leg and a metal one. Some would even say it was quite the predicament.

As he walked down the corridor, Hiccup met the stares of plenty of wizards. He knew what they were thinking, he didn't need to be a wizard to know _that_. They were all wondering why he was injured _again_ and why they hadn't shown up for many meals over the past week.

Hiccup smirked inwardly as he thought of how Toothless would handle this situation. He would have scared all the silly wizards out of their wits, which would have been _hilarious_ to watch. Maybe Hiccup should do that...bring Toothless into the Great Hall and have him pretend to attack Hiccup. The young boy laughed at himself at the thought. Of course, Dumbledore wouldn't be too happy to see such a thing, but it would be priceless. It would have to wait until _after_ the First Task though.

The other Vikings were already seated in the hall, talking amongst themselves. They looked up as Hiccup sat next to Hiccup, already aware of his limp. Snotlout had laughed at him and the twins thought it incredibly cool and wanted _their_ dragon to blow _them_ up. Yeah, they were strange. Astrid had offered small amounts of sympathy, but Hiccup could tell that she didn't really care. Then there was Fishlegs, who really didn't seem to bother. He was thinking, off in Valhalla, probably about the dragons.

"Are you going to be going down to the dragons tonight?" Astrid asked Hiccup. It was quiet, yet there weren't very many people in listening distance from them. No one they were concerned with, anyway.

Hiccup sighed resentfully and nodded. "Yeah, I have to," he replied.

She nodded and leaned in closer to Hiccup. "We were told to show up too. Something about our leader being there...," she explained.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Gobber didn't show?" he asked lightly.

She hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Of course. They meant _you_, Hiccup," she teased.

He laughed to himself. "Sure, well, I'll be there. I have to work with Razor Neck."

Astrid nodded sadly. "Yeah, I know. I really want to help you but...," she trailed off unhappily.

"Yeah, I know. It's too dangerous," Hiccup finished. He knew it was dangerous, even for him, so he wasn't going to allow any of his friends near the dragon. None of them had dragons which had an influence over the Hungarian Horntail, Hiccup didn't think it would be wise to involve them. At least with Toothless the whole situation was much safer, if you could go that far.

More students started to enter the hall and their conversation steered away from the dragons. They started to talk in their natural tongue, about the things that could be happening on Berk and such. Hiccup talked to both Astrid and Fishlegs, mainly about the upcoming dragon race. It was something new to the island, but extremely fun. With the teens away, the festivities would be passed to the older generations and _their_ dragons, which would have been funny to watch. None of the older Vikings really had fast dragons and they generally stuck with the sturdy Gronkles or the Nadders. Neither were particular fast, maybe the Nadder.

Dumbledore stood at the front pedestal once everyone was in the room. He announced that the meal had begun, making plates appear on the tables. Hiccup watched as the wizards dug into their food as though there was no tomorrow.

After a short while, the Vikings were all eating too busily to talk much. Ruff and Tuff were being stupid however, throwing food at each other. Hiccup laughed as Tuffnut's blond hair caught a piece of beef. Ruffnut snickered as she watched her brother struggle to get it out.

Hiccup turned around in his chair, looking at the rest of the hall. There wasn't really that much happening, but it was loud. Like, really loud. Almost to the point where Hiccup wondered what was going on. It seemed that all the wizards were talking about the same thing. Hiccup exchanged glances with Astrid and Fishlegs, but they seemed just as clueless as he was.

For the first time that meal, Hiccup turned to his left and saw Harry and his gang sitting next to him. He felt ashamed that he hadn't noticed them, but recovered quickly. He greeted them quickly, which they all repeated themselves. Hiccup could tell they were all happy, Hermione especially, but Harry not as much. What _was_ going on?

"You feeling better, Hiccup?" Ron asked from across the table, his mouth full of food. Hiccup rolled his eyes, it wasn't anything that he wasn't used to. Berk was notorious for bad food eating habits.

Hiccup shrugged. "Eventually. I still have to go back out there tonight though," he shivered at his impending doom. So long as Toothless was there, he knew it couldn't end _too_ badly.

Harry looked at Ron, then back at Hiccup. "Where do you have to go?" he asked curiously, yet slightly confused. Hiccup instantly felt bad for leaving him in the dark. It wasn't his fault that he was part of the Tournament, now, was it?

Hiccup looked around for a moment. "Nowhere too important. But I promise…you'll know soon," he explained. He didn't want Harry going into the Tournament completely blind, he had to give him _some_ idea of what he was going up against. He just couldn't do it with Dumbledore breathing down his neck...or any of the _other_ wizards, for that matter. It was a lot of pressure for one little Viking to handle.

Ron looked at Hiccup, his expression surprised. "How? You're not meant to tell the champions anything," he exclaimed.

Hiccup shrugged. "With the way they're treating us, I think we deserve to do what we like," he said hotly.

Ron nodded slowly, his eyes calculating. "Well, as long as he doesn't tell anyone _else_."

"Guys, right here?" Harry interjected suddenly.

Hiccup laughed and leant back in the chair. "Of course, Harry, my bad...how could I have forgotten?" he asked himself lightly. Harry rolled his eyes at the Viking, which didn't go unnoticed.

The meal progressed slowly and Hiccup felt himself growing weary, the training session ahead of him making him feel slightly sick. He didn't want to be anywhere _near_ Razor Neck. He didn't feel like dying so soon.

Hiccup looked around as he lapsed into his own thoughts. No one talked to him, the Vikings having their own conversations and the wizards turning back to their own. His mind wandered to the dragon upstairs, the one which he liked and he knew liked him back. He knew Toothless wouldn't intentionally hurt him, not anymore. Their days of hating each other were over, and Hiccup couldn't have been more pleased.

Dumbledore and the rest of the teachers left the hall, dismissing the wizards leave as well. Hiccup stood up and dragged his legs towards the exit. He could sense the other Vikings behind him, laughing, but he paid them no mind. He was starting to feel slightly better and his limp wasn't as pronounced as before, but it was still there.

Hiccup went straight up to his dragon before anyone could stop him. Toothless jumped onto him and started to check for more injuries. Hiccup rolled his eyes and grabbed the dragon's saddle. Toothless jumped around excitedly, barely holding still long enough for the Viking to clip the gear up properly. Hiccup rolled his eyes as he ran over to the balcony. The rest of the Vikings were getting their dragons ready, but they gave Hiccup the go ahead look. He grinned and hopped into the saddle, clicking his metal foot into place.

Toothless shot into the air, his wings making a whistling sound. He shot towards the Forest at a speed that unmatched by any other dragon. Hiccup leaned forward and grinned as the dragon picked up speed before dropping to the ground in front of the keepers. He'd been coming up with creative new ways to startle the keepers, and this one seemed to be a keeper in itself.

Charlie Weasley scowled slightly as he approached Hiccup, but only when Hiccup was off the dragon. Hiccup stood up straight and let the keeper approach him. The other two keepers followed quietly behind, their expressions grim. "Are your friends coming?" he asked.

Hiccup nodded, giving a pointed look to the sky. At that moment, the group of dragons were spotted in the sky, trying to find a nice place to land. They hadn't been that far behind Hiccup and Toothless, it seemed. Once they had landed, Charlie nodded to all of them, which they returned.

"We're here to talk about the Tournament, yes?" Hiccup asked.

Charlie nodded. "Yes. Come with me," he said, gesturing to walk with him. Where he wanted them to go, Hiccup didn't have a clue.

The Vikings followed behind the three keepers silently. Hiccup's limp was getting progressively better, which was good, because the keepers didn't seem to notice it. Toothless followed silently behind Hiccup, constantly watching him to make sure he wasn't in danger.

They arrived at what seemed to be an arena, after ten minutes into the walk. The arena wasn't in the forest any more, instead it was filled with chairs and rocks inside. The walls were high and filled with flags. Hiccup felt that this would make a good training arena for the dragons of Berk, but he wasn't going to say anything.

"This is the arena in which the first task will be held," Charlie explained. The Vikings waited for the rest of the explanation patiently. "Your task will be to get the dragons used to being inside it, and to make sure that they protect the egg, but do not attack without reason." He gave Hiccup a pointed look at this.

Hiccup frowned. "You want us to make sure that the dragons are able to protect an egg, but only attack when the champion is going towards it?" he repeated, not quite understanding.

Kingsley nodded. "Yeah, that would be exactly what we're asking you to do," he replied.

Astrid looked around the arena for a moment, scanning the sky and what could go wrong in a setting like this. "How are the dragons going to know that they are to stay in the arena, and not just fly out the top?" she asked.

Jeremy stepped forwards and pointed to a bolt in the ground. "Each dragon will be attached to the ground with a ten metre long metal chain. There is no way they will be able to break it."

Hiccup scowled to himself, not liking the idea. However, he felt slightly comforted that Razor Neck wouldn't be able to run straight at Hiccup when they were training. That brought them to their next problem, though, didn't it? How was Hiccup going to be able to make sure that Razor Neck simply guarded the egg, and not attack the first person who got close to him? It wasn't going to be easy, that was for sure.

They headed back to the dragons slowly. Astrid talked to Fishlegs about tactics, working together and such. Hiccup thought it would be a good idea, if he wasn't so protective over his friends. Toothless stayed back with Hiccup and watched him. He was paying attention to his Viking, but also to the keepers, who kept sending glances towards Hiccup while talking amongst themselves.

Once they were back at the camp site, the Vikings split up. They went to their respective dragons and gave them some food. Hiccup slowly walked over to Razor Neck, dreading the confrontation already. Toothless bared his teeth in warning as they approached the crazed dragon, warning him not to harm Hiccup again.

Razor Neck leapt forward in the cage, pushing it over and almost moving it from its place on the ground. Hiccup stood his ground and looked directly into the eyes of the dragon, something you should never do with a dragon unless you're trying to intimidate them. Razor Neck held firm and refused to look away, forcing Hiccup to step closer and raise his head.

Toothless watched the stare off angrily, growling lowly at Razor Neck to look away, to submit. Razor Neck made no such move and Hiccup took another step forward. The dragon backed away slowly, knowing full well he couldn't win this. He lowered his head slightly and clicked his tongue, submitting to Hiccup's stare. Hiccup nodded harshly, not wanting to show that he was thankful the dragon hadn't hurt him.

Hiccup walked to the cage and grabbed the fish which had been placed near it. Razor Neck stepped forwards and croaked happily, wanting the food. He lowered his head to Hiccup's level and tried to press closer for the food. Hiccup took it away from him and scowled at him. Razor Neck roared at Hiccup, wanting the food.

"No," Hiccup said sternly.

Razor Neck stood up straight and prepared the fire in the back of his throat. Toothless instantly hissed and jumped over Hiccup, covering him with his large near black but blue wings. Hiccup frowned as he bent closer to the ground, knowing that Toothless would be trying to get the fish himself. He rolled his eyes as he felt the familiar tug at the one in his hand.

Once Razor Neck had calmed down, Toothless unwrapped himself from around the Viking. He looked at him with big eyes, expecting some form of reward. Hiccup rolled his eyes and held the fish up above his head, teasing the dragon. Toothless, being a Night Fury, was quick enough to catch the fish before Hiccup could move it.

Hiccup laughed and scratched the dragons head as he ate. Toothless mumbled appreciatively with the food in his mouth. He looked back up to Razor Neck, expecting to see a furious dragon but was met with what looked like a jealous one. Hiccup furrowed his brows as he thought as to why the dragon would feel this way.

Toothless sat back lazily as he watched the dragon. Razor Neck regarded Toothless briefly before looking at Hiccup. His face dissolved slightly into one of liking, before his hard glance returned. Hiccup sighed, this dragon just going to give in.

Taking a step closer, Hiccup held out the fish tenderly to the dragon. Razor Neck cautiously stepped closer to him and stuck out a hard red tongue through the cage bars. Hiccup rolled his eyes and stepped right up to the cage. He held the fish out and into the bars, allowing the dragon to take it whole.

Razor Neck quickly threw the fish into the air with his teeth and swallowed the thing whole. He looked at Hiccup with a different expression to those he'd given him before. It was one of trust, something he never thought to see in such a dragon. Hiccup smiled kindly at him, handing him another piece of fish.

Again, Razor Neck swallowed the fish whole. He clicked his tongue happily as he waited patiently for Hiccup to move. His entire hostile demeanour disappeared, and he seemed like a different dragon. Hiccup had to admit, he liked this side to the dragon. It was the first time that he'd seen it, and he hoped it wasn't the last.

Eventually, the fish was finished and the dragon sat down happily, closing its wings over its legs. Hiccup watched it with a smile on his face. Razor Neck seemed to have a cold exterior, but he could sense that something had happened in his life to make him this way, a sincere lack of distrust like this could only be the result of some sort of previous incident. He needed to talk to the keepers.


	6. Chapter 6

They still had a week before the first task, but that still meant that it was getting closer. While Hiccup had some major breakthroughs Razor Neck, the dragon was still edgy and refused to trust Hiccup. It was becoming progressively worse during the day, when he would light the whole forest alight and thump around, but during night he would be perfectly comfortable around the Viking boy.

Hiccup couldn't help but feel bad for Razor Neck: he had plenty of reasons to be angry and weary towards the keepers, yet it made Hiccup feel bad too. He was the one allowing the keepers to keep the dragon in such small confines.

The other Vikings were doing well. So well, in fact, that they were able to take breaks for days at a time. This was one of those days. Hiccup and Toothless were the only ones down at the arena with the dragon and the other Vikings were having a lazy day inside, or possibly flying around the Forbidden Forest. The keepers were sitting in the stands, watching carefully as Hiccup advanced the Horntail.

Razor Neck eyed the boy suspiciously. Hiccup stepped forward cautiously, making sure to watch the wings of the dragon. Although he was strapped tightly to the ground, Hiccup had seen him nearly break the iron chain before. He wasn't going to let that happen again, it had scared the life out of him.

Toothless stood back and kept his eyes trained on his Viking. He didn't like that his Viking was risking his life constantly for these stupid wizards. He admired him too, because Hiccup's only reason for doing such things was to protect the lives of the dragons. Toothless was proud to have such a selfless Viking as his own.

Hiccup approached the dragon carefully, or rather approached the place the egg was hidden. He ducked behind a rock as Razor Neck shot a blast of fire at him. Hiccup sighed to himself as he regained his balance and headed back to the dragon. Razor Neck was slightly getting the hang of things now, knowing to only attack when Hiccup was moving for the egg, and not randomly.

Toothless rocked back warily, keeping his green eyes trained on Hiccup. He didn't like the training method at all. His Viking needed to be shot at in order to train the dragon. It just wasn't fair for Hiccup, and Toothless was forced to sit on the side and watch.

Razor Neck growled loudly and shot another fire blast towards Hiccup. The Viking groaned inwardly and lowered himself to the ground. He stood up quickly, losing his balance slightly. He righted himself and stepped closer to the dragon.

Surprisingly, Razor Neck did nothing. Hiccup stood up straight and took another step. The dragon didn't move. Hiccup cautiously took another step. Razor Neck clicked and stood up onto his legs, folding his wings and turning his head to the side.

Hiccup swallowed and took another step. The dragon stood up even straighter and watched Hiccup closely, following his every movement. Hiccup knew that this wouldn't end well for him; Razor Neck had done this sort of thing before, but not nearly to this extent.

He briefly tore his eyes away from Razor Neck to look back at Toothless. The Night Fury gave him a curious yet reassuring glance. Hiccup nodded as he turned back to Razor Neck. The Hungarian Horntail turned his head and eyed Hiccup knowingly. Hiccup took another step forward and watched as Razor Neck swung his tail around impatiently. He could tell that the dragon was just waiting for the right time to strike.

Hiccup gained his courage and stood up straight, reaching forwards with his hands. Instantly, Razor Neck reacted. Hiccup had been expecting it and leapt out of the way of his furious claws. The dragon lashed out and roared loudly. The wizards in the stands stood up as Hiccup leapt to the side and hid behind a rock. He was thankful that Toothless hadn't intervened yet, otherwise things would have gotten out of hand very quickly.

Razor Neck sprayed fire all over the stadium and Hiccup rolled his eyes. So much for his aim. He hopped out from behind the rock and dashed forward, knowing that Razor Neck was still out of control and wouldn't be focussing on him. He reached beneath the dragons large legs and grabbed the egg, clutching it close to him.

The moment that Razor Neck noticed Hiccup beneath his legs, he stopped and stood still, giving Hiccup a glare. Hiccup took several steps back, still holding the egg. He'd never actually gotten to touch the egg until now; the dragon had always gotten the better of him. This meant that things were improving, slightly.

Razor Neck lowered his head to Hiccup's level and bared his razor sharp teeth. Hiccup stepped back and put the egg on the ground. It wasn't his prize to get and he'd already proven to the dragon that nothing would happen if he did get the egg. That was his main goal for the moment.

Hiccup reached his hand out slightly towards the dragon. He hissed and Hiccup retracted quickly, trying not to threaten the dragon. He was beginning to get a strong sense of déjà vu, from when he first met Toothless and he allowed the Viking to touch him.

Razor Neck watched Hiccup closely as he turned around and reached his arm out again, opening his fingers and not looking at the dragon. It was a strong exercise of trust, but Hiccup didn't believe that the dragon would hurt him. He sought the best from the creature, not the worst.

After a moment, Razor Neck breathed his hot breath on Hiccup, before slowly pressing his nose into Hiccup's hand. Hiccup flinched at the contact, before turning up to look at Razor Neck. The dragon snorted again and opened his glowing eyes, blinking rapidly and turning away from Hiccup. He grinned and hopped out of the stadium. He would leave Razor Neck to himself for a while, just to think over what had happened.

It gave Hiccup hope for Razor Neck when he'd pressed his head against his hand, giving him the trust that Toothless had. Hiccup's relationship with Toothless had started much the same, but without the constant attempts to kill each other, of course.

Toothless met Hiccup just as he was exiting the arena. Hiccup grinned and tackled the dragon to the ground, rolling them onto the grass just outside the arena. Toothless grumbled happily and put his front legs either side of Hiccup's face, leaning down and giving him a long, slobbery lick along his face. Hiccup laughed and opened his eyes, bringing his arms up to Toothless front legs and batting them away.

The Night Fury growled playfully and batted Hiccup's hands away, standing up and getting into a defensive stance. Hiccup stood up too, and faced the dragon. Toothless took a step closer and Hiccup feigned a step back. Hiccup moved to the left, Toothless watching his movements closely.

Hiccup leaned forward and ran the short distance between them, wrapping his arms around Toothless's neck, using most of his weight to drag him to the ground. Toothless playfully followed him, allowing Hiccup to push him to the ground. He opened his mouth, showing his teeth, and snapped them at Hiccup.

Toothless didn't need to use much force to stand back up and knock Hiccup beneath him. Hiccup grumbled as he landed on his back and pushed the dragon away, rolling away just as Toothless fell to the ground, exactly where Hiccup had been.

Hiccup laughed and jumped onto his back, wrapping his thin arms around his neck. Toothless stood up vertically onto his hind legs and turned his head to Hiccup. The boy struggled to keep his grip on the dragon, slipping down the shiny scales. Toothless gave him a smug look, which Hiccup responded with a scowl. He slid down the dragon's body and onto the ground, just near his tail.

Toothless growled and flipped over, his teeth just above Hiccup. He collapsed his head onto Hiccup's chest, the winner of the fray. Hiccup laughed and scratched Toothless's chin, a sure fire way to get him off. Toothless grumbled happily and stood up straight, watching his Viking as he stood up and dusted himself off. Toothless himself shook his scales, and watched as tiny flecks of dirt came off his blue scales.

Hiccup laughed and scratched the dragon behind his ears. Toothless purred happily as he turned his head to the side for Hiccup to have more access. The two stood still as they heard the sounds of approaching people. Hiccup turned around on the spot as Charlie Weasley approached, followed by Ron. Toothless curled himself around Hiccup protectively, his tail waving around Hiccup's legs with his head just in front.

Charlie stopped a couple of metres away from Hiccup, not wanting to aggravate the dragon anymore. Ron stood beside his brother and watched with interest. He seemed to like Toothless, and Hiccup thought it a wonder that he hadn't shared the news with Harry yet.

"Congratulations on your progress with the Hungarian Horntail. We have decided to give you the night off tonight, so that you may enjoy some time with your friends. It is only necessary for you to come during the day now," Charlie informed Hiccup.

Hiccup nodded slowly, not really liking the idea of only coming during the day. Sure, it meant less time with the dragon, but Hiccup couldn't get as far with him during the day as he could in the night. Still, he didn't argue with him and decided it was best to keep quiet.

Toothless watched Charlie warily as he started to turn around, not having more to say. Hiccup could understand why he wouldn't stay, especially with the Night Fury in such a stance, but he felt that it was rude to leave so abruptly.

Ron watched his older brother leave, then turned to face Hiccup. "I watched you with that dragon. It was pretty cool," he said, a grin on his freckled face.

Hiccup laughed lightly, pushing Toothless' head slightly, making him give up his protective stance. "Yeah, finally. I just can't get through to him," he replied, muttering the last part to himself.

Ron chuckled and grinned. "Well, you've got that one, so I'm sure you'll be able to handle the Horntail. Compared to yours, he's a baby," he exclaimed.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. He could tell that Ron was in total awe of his best friend, which was fair enough since the Night Fury was a rare and dangerous dragon. Hiccup didn't think that the Hungarian Horntail actually registered on the same scale as Toothless, but Razor Neck was much harder to train. It didn't help that the keepers were keeping such a closer eye on him so he couldn't do anything on his own. He really didn't like how they were doing that. Trying to learn the secrets of the trade.

Ron looked at Toothless thoughtfully for a moment, Hiccup could see that he was also looking at the saddle and the red material tail. "Are you two going to go for a fly soon?" he asked curiously.

Hiccup shrugged, looking at Toothless. The dragon gave Hiccup hopeful eyes. Hiccup laughed and pushed his head away lightly. "Yeah, I suppose so. I've been trying to work out a way to go out with Razor Neck too, but nothing seems to be strong enough to keep him in line," he explained.

Ron nodded slowly, glancing back to where the Hungarian Horntail was sleeping in the arena. "You could always use a really long piece of metal, like the one he's chained to on the floor."

Hiccup shook his head, not liking the idea at all. He'd thought of it, of course, but he was quick to turn it down when he realised that Toothless would be carrying the weight and not him. He needed something light, yet strong. Something which Hiccup could use to control the other dragon, yet allow him some freedom. "I need something light since Toothless needs to be able to fly, too, you know," he explained.

Ron put his finger to his chin thoughtfully. "You could always use some magically reinforced leather. It would be strong, light and long enough for the dragon," he suggested.

Hiccup snapped his head up, liking the idea. But he also didn't like the idea of having something from the wizards near his best friend that could possibly be both dangerous and stupid. Toothless looked to Hiccup, wondering what he thought of the idea. Hiccup saw in his friend's eyes that he was alright with it, yet he could tell that Toothless didn't want anything to go wrong.

"Is there a way to make sure that nothing could go wrong?" he asked.

Ron nodded. "Of course. You'd have to ask Dumbledore, or one of the other professors, they'd be able to cast a spell strong enough to keep the dragon under control in the air. No one else would really have the power," he told the smaller boy lightly.

Hiccup cursed inwardly. The one person he strongly disliked was the only one who could help. Of course, Ron had said that the others could help, but he knew it would be best to ask the strongest wizard there. He knew he would have to face his enemies at some point, it just annoyed him that he would have to so soon. His father would be telling him that it's better now than later, and that putting things off just makes them worse. Hiccup knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier.

"Thanks, Ron," Hiccup said, turning around.

Ron laughed and ran up behind them, to the front. Toothless grumbled to himself, not liking the guts of the red headed wizard. "After the tournament is over, mind showing me what's so awesome about the dragons?" he asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "You'd have to ask someone else. Toothless only flies for me," he said.

Ron looked down, sad to hear it, but beamed as he looked up. "Cool! What about Snotlout? He's got a pretty cool dragon."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and walked past Ron. "Yeah, we'll see how that works out for you. I've got to go." He hopped onto the saddle, clicked his leg into place and Toothless leapt into the air. He barely heard the whistle from Ron, but somehow it was loud enough. Hiccup laughed and leaned forward, focusing on his dragon in the sky.

Toothless roared loudly as they reached the clouds, shooting a plasma blast and separating several fluffy parts. He soared over the lake and over the castle, heading speedily towards the tower in which they were staying in. Hiccup leaned forward once more, allowing the dragon to pick up speed easily.

The two landed on the balcony lightly, Toothless stopping immediately and tucking his wings in. Hiccup hopped off and gave the dragon a hug, smiling as Toothless nudged him with his head. Hiccup looked around the room, noticing Astrid and Fishlegs who were seated by the fire, talking about something or other. He also saw the twins playing some form of board game...but the pieces appeared to be killing each other. He rolled his eyes, he'd heard of the game from Ron and his friends but had never played. Apparently it looked worse in a life like situation, whatever _that_ meant.

Hiccup joined Fishlegs and Astrid's conversation, sitting beside Astrid. Toothless settled beside the fire, shoving Meatlug and Stormfly out of the way. Hiccup rolled his eyes before giving his full attention to the conversation between the Vikings.

"Hey, Hiccup. How was training?" Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup shrugged lightly. "It was alright. But I don't have to go in tonight...or ever again after dark, actually," he replied.

Astrid made small cheering sounds. "That's great! Did they say why?"

He shook his head. "No, they didn't. But I didn't really want to know why."

The other two Vikings nodded, before they continued their previous conversation. Apparently they had been invited to some activity in the Gryffindor Common Room, yet they weren't sure whether they should go or not. Hiccup wondered when they'd been offered, or if he was allowed to go.

"It could be a trap," Fishlegs said.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "A trap to get us to do _what_?" she asked snarkily.

Fishlegs paused for a moment. "Well, Harry's there. He could be trying to see if we can tell him more about the first task," he seemed pretty pleased with the answer too.

Hiccup laughed. "Well, I'd think that it would be Ron who would tell Harry first, you know. He does spend a lot of time with the dragons, especially because of his brother."

Astrid nodded, agreeing with Hiccup. "Fishlegs, face it, you're just nervous about being around the wizards. You don't think they would hurt you, do you?" she asked lightly in a teasing tone.

Fishlegs frowned and turned his head away, turning a shade of red that made Hiccup laugh. "No, not at all," he muttered unconvincingly.

Hiccup grinned and shook his head. "It's alright, Fishlegs. I think we should go, though," he added.

Astrid gave Hiccup a strange glance, wondering why he'd agreed to go. Surely he'd be the last one to want to hang around a bunch of wizards such as them? Especially around Harry, the one whom Dumbledore was making him train the dragons hardest for. She didn't say anything, though Hiccup knew that such thoughts would be passing through her head. They always were when it came to him.

Hiccup stood up suddenly, leaving Fishlegs and Astrid on the ground. Toothless lifted his head to watch Hiccup for a moment, before closing his eyes and hitting the floor again. Hiccup smiled at his best friend, before heading off to where he kept his belongings. He rummaged through his chest and grinned as he pulled out some supplies for random things which Hiccup would choose to make. He just wanted something to do, and this seemed like the perfect idea.

He walked over to the balcony, the spot which provided the most light. He pulled out the sketches and started to draw on the leather, sketching the shapes for the leash. He would make it before taking it to the headmaster for spell casting.

After a while, Hiccup felt the presence of a larger being. He turned around, looking into the green eyes of Toothless. The dragon looked at the leash for a moment, before curling up next to Hiccup. He grinned and turned back to his work, making sure that the leash would be able to fit with the saddle. He took the saddle off of Toothless, checking the points which he could actually tie the leash onto, and made sure there was no lasting damage to the saddle structure.

Once he was satisfied with the design, he began to make it, with the little supplies he had brought with him. Toothless made sounds every so often, though he was in his dream state, so they weren't directed at Hiccup. He found himself laughing as the dragon twitched, obviously having some sort of interesting dream.

* * *

Harry didn't know what to expect. He'd been looking up past Tournaments, but every single one was incredibly different from the last, not giving him any idea on what was to come. It didn't help that both Ron and Hermione knew what the first task was, yet they weren't saying anything. They were being incredibly cryptic about the whole thing, and Harry hated it. It was as though they _wanted_ him to fail.

It wasn't just the Tournament that was bugging Harry, though. He was also worry about how his name could have ended up in the Goblet to begin with. Even though that was the least of his problems, it was still at the back of his mind. Part of his subconscious was telling him that the dreams of the snakes had something to do with it, and Voldemort.

He also couldn't stop thinking about a certain one legged Viking boy. Ever since he'd found out that Hiccup didn't kill dragons he'd been ecstatic, though they'd hardly seen each other. Hiccup always found some way or another not to be at the Great Hall. The other Vikings were always there, especially Fishlegs, who had his nose in wizard books most of the time. But never Hiccup. It was as though he was avoiding the wizards. Harry didn't like to think like that, though, maybe he was just busy.

The Gryffindor's had organised some sort of gathering, with Fred and George having the great idea to invite the Vikings. So of course, the wizards were all waiting anxiously to see if they would show. Harry sort of hoped they wouldn't - they could be pretty scary - but a small part of him hoped that Hiccup would show. It would be cool to see the Viking on his own terms, in his part of the tower.

Ron walked through the doors, making people in the room look up. They all went back to their activities, relaxing when they realised it was just Ron. Harry rolled his eyes and ran over to Ron happily, followed quickly by Hermione. The three sat beside the fire together, not saying much besides the usual polite greetings.

"I just saw Hiccup, they're going to the tower. Did you guys invite him here, or just the other Vikings?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged slightly. "The invitation was extended to all of the Vikings," she replied.

Ron nodded happily. "That's cool. Do you know when they should be here?" he asked.

Harry and Hermione both shook their heads. "Nope, just said before dinner today. They have time," Hermione told him.

The group moved their conversation from the Vikings and started to talk of their work load and school and such. Harry avoided bringing up the Tournament, knowing all too well that his friends would just veer the conversation away anyway. It was as though they just didn't want to talk about it, that they were _worried_. Harry needed to know why. What could make them act that way just by speaking about a task they weren't even taking part in?

"They give us too much work," Ron complained.

Hermione laughed. "When you want to do well, Ron, you'll understand that there isn't enough."

Ron and Harry groaned unhappily. "Only you, Hermione," Ron muttered.

"Well, it's my opinion, of course it's only me," she retorted.

Harry leaned back against the couch and gazed into the fire. Just a few nights ago he'd been talking to Sirius through it. Some of what he'd said had surprised him, some of it was pretty self-explanatory. The fact that someone had put his name in the Goblet for a specific reason was something he already knew. What he didn't know was that when Voldemort was at his peak, he'd had alliances with the Vikings. That meant that they were at the top of the suspect charts for a while. Harry had looked into it with Hermione and found that they only did it because Voldemort threatened to kill all the villages and their inhabitants.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Ron asked, changing the topic yet again.

Harry sighed and looked up at his friends. "Not much, just thinking of the tasks," he replied quietly.

Instantly Hermione and Ron paused. Harry glared at the ground, disliking their silence immensely. "I get that you guys can't tell me, but you don't have to be so awkward about it," he snapped.

Hermione paused for a moment, her emotions getting the best of her, Harry knew it. He didn't really care that he had hurt her with his words; that was just the way that he was. "Harry, we would love to tell you..." she trailed off quietly.

"But you can't. I know," Harry was irritated, his temper flaring. It wasn't that he was mad at his friends, he was just mad at his situation. He was too worried about the whole thing with Voldemort, the Vikings alliance, the task, and everything was just getting to him. It was all too much for the fourteen year old. Harry couldn't help but let some of the stress he'd been dealing with out on his friends. He would apologise later, of course.

Hermione looked down, Ron looked away. "We're doing our best here, Harry," Hermione whispered.

Harry sighed to himself. "I know. I just..." he trailed off to himself.

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Harry could hear the Fat Lady painting talking to the visitors, so Harry knew it had to be the Vikings. None of the other wizards either knocked or talked to the Fat Lady.

Fred and George snickered to each other in the corner. Harry instantly wondered what they had planned for the unfortunate Vikings. He sat up and watched as a first year opened the door for the Vikings. There weren't as many as Harry had been hoping, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins. In saying that, he'd been hopping that Hiccup would tag along, but apparently not.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut ditched their friends and ran over to where the Weasley twins sat. Harry put his hand to hit forehead briefly. This just wouldn't end well for the Vikings. They clearly had no _clue_ who the Weasley brothers were. It was unlikely that the two Vikings would come out unscathed.

Harry watched as Fishlegs stood awkwardly at the door, whilst Snotlout made his way towards some of the Quidditch team members. Harry noticed that they seemed to already know each other, and wondered how they'd gotten to that stage.

Astrid walked towards Harry and Hermione, her intent clear in her blue eyes. Harry watched as Fishlegs tagged behind her lazily, appearing to not know where to go.

"Hey, Hermione. How's things?" Astrid asked as she reached the couch they were sitting at.

Hermione smiled and hopped off the couch, standing at Astrid's level. The two exchanged greetings, as friends. Harry wondered when the two had managed to get so close, they barely saw each other.

"Going good, thanks, Astrid," Hermione replied happily.

Harry looked at Fishlegs, looking sort of out of place. He sighed and gestured for the Viking to take a seat. Fishlegs muttered something under his breath, Harry didn't understand it – it was in their native language.

"Where's Hiccup?" Harry asked Fishlegs.

Astrid appeared to be listening in, for she was the one who replied. "He's upstairs, working on something or other."

Ron laughed. "Of course he is..." he trailed off. Because apparently Ron knew Hiccup better than anyone else, Harry thought bitterly.

Astrid shrugged. "Yeah, well, he told me that he might come down later, depending on the weather," she explained.

"The weather?" Harry asked. What had the weather got to do with staying _inside_? These Vikings got weirder and weirder every day. He would have liked to have seen Hiccup too, but his chances weren't very good. It was likely that the one legged boy wouldn't show his face in the Common Room, too nervous and what not.

Astrid shrugged. "Yeah, he likes to be outdoors when the weather's nice," she explained, though Harry had already guessed that this was what she meant.

Ron grinned, as did Hermione. "Staying up there with anyone else?" Ron asked.

Fishlegs gave Astrid a wary glance. She ignored him, as usual. "Well, yeah, of course. Wouldn't want to leave him alone," she said, smirking. Apparently this was her way of making fun of someone when they weren't here. She was probably better at doing so when they were.

The turret was filled with an ear piercing screech suddenly, the sounds coming from outside. Several Gryffindor students hurried to the window to see what the commotion was, but Harry could tell from their faces that they hadn't seen anything. It was becoming progressively weirder around the Common Room: Harry had heard the same screeching sound nearly every day, though he hadn't a clue as to what it was.

Astrid grumbled under her breath, before straightening and turning back to Hermione. Harry wondered whether the Vikings were really hiding something, other than their knowledge of the first task was. Of course, he thought to himself, he knew they were hiding something before, but it was becoming more apparent to Harry that it was something big. He just couldn't figure it out.

A few minutes after the Vikings had settled into the Common Room, Fishlegs included, there were thudding sounds coming from the stairwell. Instantly, most of the Gryffindor who were sitting in the room hopped up to investigate. They swung the portrait door open, but there wasn't anything.

Harry pushed through the crowd to the outside, looking up the stairwell. As he couldn't see anything, he cursed under his breath. This would have been a perfect opportunity to get answers.

Just before Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor went back inside, Harry heard someone running down the stairs. He looked up just as someone collided with him, tumbling onto the plateau of the stairs. Harry clutched at the back of his head, now throbbing, and glared up at his attacker, who happened to be awkwardly lying on top of him.

Harry looked up, surprised to find that it was Hiccup. The thin Viking boy barely put any weight onto Harry, which surprised him further. Harry looked into Hiccup's green eyes for a moment, before the Viking mumbled an apology and struggled to his foot.

Hiccup leaned down and offered his hand to Harry. Harry himself was too stunned into silence that all he could do was accept the hand and take to his own shaky feet. There was some laughter behind Harry, and he knew that they were laughing because Hiccup had knocked down their champion, but Harry didn't care. He couldn't help but think of how nice it had been to have Hiccup near him, even by accident.

Before Harry could say anything, Astrid punched Hiccup hard in the arm and grinned. He rolled his eyes and allowed her to drag her inside the Common Room. Harry followed behind Hermione, who was trailing behind the Vikings. He couldn't help but smile as his memory and mind played little tricks on him.

The group sat beside the fire happily. Dinner would be ready soon, so Harry knew that he should enjoy the moment whilst it lasted. He knew that the Vikings would find some way to ditch them for the meal, they usually did. Well, Hiccup did.

"You decided to show up after all?" Astrid asked lightly.

Hiccup shrugged. He looked at Astrid for a moment, giving her some sort of look. Her face instantly became one of understanding, and Harry wanted to know what it was that they had just shared. He just wished that they would tell him _something_.

"Yeah, couldn't spend all my time with him. Besides, he wanted some alone time," he muttered the last part. Harry could hear it in his voice that he was upset about something, and it made him curious as to who this mysterious 'he' was. The one whom Hiccup seemed to be spending the majority of his time with.

Astrid laughed. "You don't sound all too happy about that. Did you do something?" she teased, dragging her finger in front of Hiccup's face in a _you shouldn't have done that_ sort of way. Harry had seen it for him numerous times, because of his _Aunt_, if he could call her that.

Hiccup glared at her. "No. he just wanted out, but I wouldn't let him. I'm sure you would have heard it," he replied, snark lacing his voice. Astrid laughed and looked away, pretending to wipe her tears away. Harry looked at Hiccup, but his face was emotionless. Well, as emotionless as a Viking like him could be.

Hermione interjected in the conversation at this point. "So are you joining us for dinner? We're leaving shortly," she asked the Vikings in general.

Astrid looked to Hiccup briefly. "Well, I am. I don't know about _him_," she jutted her thumb at Hiccup.

Ron laughed, looking at Hiccup happily. "We'd be happy if you joined us, Hiccup. Wouldn't we, Harry?" he asked, pointedly looking at Harry.

Harry glanced up, surprised that he'd said anything to him. "What? Hmm? You said what?" he asked, completely unaware of the situation. He'd been more focussed on the fact that Hiccup was sitting so close to him, but he wasn't going to say anything about that. He'd been distracted by it, too far gone. He was aggravated that Ron had spoken to him at all, though he supposed that if he hadn't, he would have continued to stare at Hiccup until the _Viking _noticed. That would have been the tip of the iceberg of a _perfect_ day.

Ron laughed. "I was just saying how it would be great if Hiccup joined us for dinner," he replied, laughing.

Harry nodded slowly, without thinking. "Um, yeah, it would be great..." he mumbled. His thoughts were racing amongst other things, completely unrelated to the dinner. Food was the _last _thing on his mind. He wouldn't be able to eat with Hiccup sitting right _next_ to him.

Hiccup laughed, much to Harry's enjoyment. "Well, then, I suppose I can try to make it," he chuckled.

Without warning, something went _bang_ beside the group, making them all look up. Harry wasn't surprised to find that Fred had black smoke surrounding him, with George shooting him a shocked expression. Beside them, the Viking twins were laughing their heads off, rolling on the ground. Harry briefly looked to Hiccup, noticing that he was rolling his eyes and laughing too.

"He fell for it!" Ruffnut yelled happily, wiping away her tears of laughter.

Tuffnut agreed wholeheartedly and laughed along with his sister. Harry wondered what it was that they had done. "I can't believe they were so _silly_!" he laughed.

Fred sent a glare towards Tuffnut, but it wasn't as effective as he would have hoped, what with the black powder covering his face. This made the Viking twins laugh even harder, if that were even possible. Harry wondered how they weren't choking by now.

George alternated between looking at Fred and the Viking twins with a mixture of shock, surprise, humour and a sense of wonder. Harry guessed that the later was because the Viking twins had managed to fool _them_, instead of the other way around.

Fred smirked as he wiped his face and gave the Vikings an evil grin. "Well, we're _very_ good with payback," he said evilly.

Ruffnut laughed. "Yep, so are we. Just wait till Barf comes near ya," she smirked.

George laughed and patted his brother on the back. "I do believe we have met our match, dear brother," he said, but he gave Fred a knowing look. Harry felt it only fair to warn the Viking twins, but he also felt that they deserved a little payback. It would be sort of funny to watch too.

Hiccup stood up suddenly, walking towards the group of twins. Ruff and Tuff looked up, grinning, as Hiccup stopped in front of them. They instantly stood up and tried to stop laughing, much as it didn't work.

"What did you do?" Hiccup asked lightly, finding the situation only slightly funny. Harry himself was finding the situation hilarious. It wasn't every day that the Weasley twins were bested at their own game.

Tuffnut blinked for a moment, searching for the words. "Well, we may have convinced him that our fire cased rocks were sort of a tradition to Berk..."

"And they believed us!" Ruffnut laughed.

George sent a small smile towards her, but otherwise remained focused on his brother, coming up with different ways to get the twins back. Harry knew this was a cycle that would end up coming back to bite both parties on the butt...hard.

Hiccup laughed, rolling his eyes. "Of course they did...you realise, they aren't going to let you go without some form of payback?" he asked.

Tuffnut high fived Ruffnut happily, as though they'd won the lottery. Harry couldn't begin to understand how this set of twins worked. He barely understood the Weasley ones. "We're counting on it," Tuffnut said.

Astrid walked over to the twins and laughed as she took in the Weasley's appearance. "Well, you sure did a good job. Better than anything you've done to Snotlout," she remarked.

Ruffnut laughed. "Well, I think convincing him that he was dying was pretty good, myself."

Tuffnut nodded, agreeing with his sister. "Well, of course. I mean, _come on_, putting grass in his pants? _Priceless_!"

Harry had a feeling that this would go on for some time, but he didn't mind. It was funny to watch how the Vikings interacted with each other. They didn't seem worried about fitting in, or what the other Vikings would think of them. Especially not the twins. If anything, they wanted people to think _badly_ of them. What was with _that?_

* * *

Hiccup couldn't believe that the twins had managed to trick the wizards. It was funny, hilarious even. He couldn't help but laugh as he sat down at the table ready to eat the feast with the wizards. He'd decided to tag along for this one, just because Harry had asked so _nicely_.

Just after they'd left the Common Room from the wizards, Hiccup had been up to see if Toothless had settled down any. He hadn't, which made Hiccup want to leave him to calm down that much more. The dragon just wanted to fly, but Hiccup knew that it was too dangerous in broad daylight. The dragon was having a bit of a hissy fit, and Hiccup knew it would take him a while to calm down. If he was still in the funk when he returned after the meal, he would think twice before taking the dragon out for a flight.

The meal commenced and Hiccup dug in happily. He watched as the twins replayed the events of the prank to Snotlout, over exaggerating the hand movements to make it seem better than it truly was, but none the less, it was accurate. Snotlout didn't find the story as funny as everyone else had, but the twins didn't seem to mind.

Hiccup focused on his meal, not really wanting to talk to anyone else. He did feel bad about leaving Toothless all on his own, but he was being a bit of a drama queen. It annoyed Hiccup when he acted like such a baby, but he was still his best friend, no matter what. Hiccup wouldn't change that for the world, and he didn't think that Toothless would either.

Feeling a tap on the shoulder, Hiccup turned around. Hermione, the one seated next to him, on the other side of Astrid, looked at him. "How's things going?" she asked curiously.

Hiccup had to admit, he didn't like her very much. She'd been nosy, always getting in the way of things. She hadn't met Toothless, but Hiccup knew that she knew he was there. It aggravated him that she knew about the dragons in general. He would have much rather have just kept it secret from her but Ron wasn't helping. Hiccup didn't mind Ron interfering, his brother worked with the dragons, but Hermione was just a nosy girl who couldn't keep anything to herself.

"It's going alright," Hiccup managed to reply, struggling for words. He couldn't explain anything about the dragons to her, Harry might have been listening, and Hiccup couldn't let him have the advantage of knowing what the first task was. That wouldn't be fair to the other champions.

Hermione nodded, seeming to understand that she wasn't getting anything out of Hiccup for the time being. She returned her attention to her food. Hiccup sighed deeply, happy that she had given up talking to him. It annoyed him that all she wanted to talk about was the dragons. That part aggravated him more than he would care to admit.

When the meal was finished, the Great Hall echoed loudly with a very certain high pitched scream. Hiccup put his hand on his head as he groaned, glaring at the table. Toothless wasn't getting any fish tonight, this behaviour was getting annoying. He understood that Toothless was a dragon, but Hiccup knew that Toothless knew that this was too important for him to blow his cover.

Hiccup glanced up, looking around the room. Some of the wizards were looking around curiously, as though the sound had come from inside the hall. Hiccup laughed inwardly at the people, but it was only because he knew where the sound had _actually_ come from. A certain dragon which wasn't in his good books for the time being.

As he looked around, his eyes hit the angry ones of Dumbledore. He instantly knew that Dumbledore didn't appreciate having the dragon interrupt the dinner in such a way, and knew that nothing good would come out of it. Yet Hiccup couldn't bring himself to care. He grinned playfully at the headmaster, a teasing one, one that said _come at me, bro_, before turning towards a disapproving Astrid.

"What?" he asked.

She gave him a look, one that said, _are you serious?_ "What? You're asking me 'what?'" she said, disbelieving.

Hiccup shrugged. "It's not a big deal," he said.

She gave him a shocked look. "And if someone actually heard where it came from?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Then he wouldn't be very happy. He knows how to look after himself," he assured her.

Astrid gave him a pointed look. "Really?"

He sat up straight and stood up. "Right. Good point." He walked quickly out of the Great Hall.

_Just_ as he was about to leave, he was stopped by none other than Malfoy and his goons. Hiccup groaned and stepped around them, only to be pulled back. He fell to the floor heavily, earning a few snickers from the group.

"Right where you belong. At my feet," Malfoy sneered.

Hiccup glared at the ground as he rose to his feet shakily. The group of goons all laughed, egging him on. Only this time, Hiccup wouldn't be the one taking the bait. He had had enough of this group, enough of them picking on _every single thing_ about him. Was it not enough that they constantly pushed him over? Seriously, that was the only thing they did, until they were shouting unkind words, which, as Hiccup thought, were similar to every other time they'd had a run in. Couldn't he come up with anything original?

"Well, it's better than staring constantly at the pimple on your neck. Oh, wait, sorry, that's your head," he said lightly, a smile playing at his lips. It wasn't a friendly smile, it was more of an _I'm going to get you back_ sort of smile. Once the first task was over, Hiccup would show the whole school just how powerful the Vikings were and they would never think to aggravate them again.

Malfoy glared at him, Hiccup smiled sweetly. He turned on his heel and walked back to the Slytherin table, while Hiccup did a little cheer inside his head. He grinned and headed out of the Great Hall, walking down the corridor towards their room.

Along the way, Hiccup wasn't surprised to bump into Toothless. He was waiting patiently at the bottom of the stairwell. Upon closer inspection, however, it appeared that Toothless was having a stare off with a cat. Hiccup rolled his eyes and approached the dragon. Toothless barely looked away from the cat for a moment. Hiccup laughed slightly. This was always funny to watch.

Someone was walking down the corridor, and from the shape, Hiccup knew that it wasn't a student. He watched as the caretaker of the castle, Argus Filch, stopped and glared at Hiccup. He'd met Toothless before and didn't like him very much, but he tolerated him. Toothless, however, didn't like the caretaker at _all_.

"Your pet shouldn't be around the corridor," Filch spat nastily.

Hiccup shrugged. "He goes where he wants to," he said, a slight mummer coming from Toothless in agreement. So what if he was mad at the dragon? No one could stay mad at Toothless for very long, especially Hiccup.

Filch walked angrily towards Hiccup, his hand pointed and raised. Hiccup would have been nervous that he was going to use magic, but he'd heard that Filch couldn't use any. Apparently he was some _squib_, whatever that meant.

"Your pet isn't allowed out of the assigned room," Filch announced. Hiccup rolled his eyes. Because he could contain Toothless?

"Yeah, right. Have you ever tried to tell him what to do?" he asked, slightly amused.

Filch grinned, but it wasn't a nice one. Not the sort of smile that Hiccup liked. "No, but I'd bet that I would do a better job than _you_."

Hiccup stepped aside and gestured his hands towards Toothless. "Be my guest," he said.

Filch swallowed nervously and approached the near black but blue dragon. Hiccup laughed inside his head as the dragon lost concentration on the cat and snapped his eyes up to the caretaker. Filch was surprised by the sudden movement and leapt back. He glanced towards the cat, before sending a glare at Toothless.

"Mrs Norris! What have you done to my poor cat?" he asked, dashing towards the little cat. Well, little was a bit kind. The cat was fat.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and walked towards Toothless. The dragon looked up and gave Hiccup big eyes. "Maybe next time, Filch," he said, then gestured for Toothless to head up the stairs. Filch grumbled angrily as he ascended the stairs, causing Hiccup to laugh. This was going to be good.


	7. Chapter 7

There were two days before the First Task and Harry was feeling progressively worse. The other champions were all acing their classes, smart enough to know what the Task would be and what they would have to do. Harry was barely passing. He couldn't cast many spells perfectly and his _accio_ just wasn't working. Hermione had been helping him practise, and he had gotten advice from Professor Moody, but nothing seemed to be working. The best he could do was summon a pencil sitting than a metre away, but even then it would drop at his feet. He just wasn't very good at magic in general.

Ron and Hermione didn't act as though they were hiding anything anymore, and Harry was forever grateful. They were trying to play it cool, he knew that, but none the less, he was thankful that they were trying for his sake. Hermione was looking for ways to help him with the task, even though she knew she wasn't supposed to. Harry was proud of her; she was going against the rules for him.

The only plus side to this whole thing was that Hagrid was taking him to see what the First Task was. Harry didn't know whether to be excited or not, but it was a good thing regardless. He would at least be getting a heads-up, that way he would know what to train for. Perhaps he could tell the others. As soon as the thought came into his head, he erased it. They were pinning badges with _Potter Stinks_ all around the school. It wasn't very nice for Harry, the other champions didn't deserve this sort of help from him.

Harry knocked on Hagrid's wooden door. It felt like ages since he'd been there, to see the half giant with whom he'd become so close to. He had been too busy with his school work to really sit down and chat with Hagrid and even now he wouldn't be talking for long; he'd be going to see what the First Task was.

Hagrid opened the door, beaming. He looked down and ushered Harry inside. "You brought the cloak?" he asked quietly. Harry nodded, rolling his eyes as though 'of course'. He'd been told that he had to bring it, and he would have anyway, because how else was he supposed to sneak back into the tower?

The two went inside the cottage briefly, exchanging general pleasantries. "Always a pleasure to see you, Harry," Hagrid said cheerfully.

Harry nodded. "Of course," he smiled. He did miss the half giant when he didn't see him for however long. He was so strange, with his passion for all sorts of creatures. He always managed to have something dangerous which he loved. The arachnids – let's not go there, Harry thought with a shiver, remembering what happened with Aragog, their leader, in the Forest during first year

Hagrid smiled and offered his dog, Fang, a piece of steak. "That should keep him entertained. Shall we?"

Harry nodded. "Of course," he replied, following behind Hagrid as they left the hut.

The two approached the Forbidden Forest and Harry covered himself with his father's invisibility cloak. Hagrid barely looked down as the boy disappeared, knowing he would still be beside him. Harry followed as they passed trees, weaving through the Forest. He'd had so many bad experiences with this Forest. It wasn't one to take lightly.

Harry heard voices. At first he thought that it was the Centaurs, but he could also hear the sounds of something else, something much larger. He nervously followed Hagrid as they moved towards the noises. There were also lights, which Harry could see as they were approaching.

Laughter could be heard as they got closer still. Hagrid stopped behind some bushes and motioned for Harry to stay there and watch. Despite Hagrid not being able to see, Harry nodded.

Harry peeked over one of the bushes, and almost fell onto the ground in shock.

There, in the clearing, were a group of cages. Inside the cages were dragons.

Harry felt himself begin to hyperventilate. He couldn't fight a _dragon_! He didn't know enough to be able to control his magic, to do something that a dragon wouldn't be able to fight. From what he'd heard, they were strong creatures that didn't listen to anyone. Of course, he knew that the Vikings didn't kill them...did that mean there was another way for Harry to complete the First Task?

Hagrid walked confidently towards the centre of the group, where a gathering of wizard was formed. Harry could see Ron's brother, whom he'd met briefly once, inside the group. It made sense, now that he thought about it. Charlie worked with dragons, and here was a bunch of them.

Harry watched the conversation between the dragon men and Hagrid before scanning the area and looking at the dragons. He didn't know much about them off the top of his head - that was Hermione's thing - but he knew enough to know that they were _all_ dangerous. The game creators had gone all out this year.

Most of the dragons appeared to be settled in their small cages, but there was one which stood out. It was a large, green coloured dragon. Its head was held proudly as it stood on its two legs. Its tail was swinging warningly around his body, his teeth bared. Harry could tell he wasn't a happy chappie and he knew he wouldn't last long, especially not with this one.

The group split apart for a moment, Hagrid moving towards one of the dragons. Harry stepped closer, trying to hear what they were saying. It wasn't like they would be able to see him or anything.

"- see the dragons soon," one of the keepers said, making Harry wonder as to what they were talking about.

Hagrid nodded. "Ah, yes. How's it all going, anyway?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious. Of course, Harry thought. Hagrid loved dragons; had all his life. That made sense now.

Ron's brother nodded, but Harry could tell that something was holding him back. "It's all good. We're just having a few issues..." he said.

Hagrid looked up, his eyes blazing with both worry and curiosity. "How so?" he asked.

One of the other keepers gestured to the dragon that was standing high and proud. "The Horntail, we just can't seem to get through to it," he explained.

Hagrid glanced at the Horntail with a look of awe. Harry would have laughed, but the Horntail seemed to look directly at him. He swallowed and moved, the eyes of the dragon following his every move.

None of the keepers noticed, Harry was thankful, but they did look up. Harry looked up too, hearing a familiar whistling sound shooting towards the clearing. Harry had heard the sound all too often, yet he'd never understood who or what it was.

There was the loud, ear piercing screech, before a loud explosion lit up the sky. A purple light spread in a circular pattern, leaving Harry stunned on the ground. He watched as a large black creature shot towards the ground. He wanted to run forwards, to warn the wizards, but they were looking up with annoyance. Hagrid looked in awe, but he always did around danger.

The large black creature landed lightly on the ground, barely making a sound. Harry tumbled back as he watched with wide eyes at what was happening. He couldn't believe his eyes. There was a dragon standing in the middle of the clearing, just near the people. The keepers didn't look very happy about it, either. They looked incredibly annoyed. Harry had to wonder why.

Harry looked at the large black creature in fear. It was large, majestic, long and silent. Its movements couldn't be quieter if it tried, well, Harry thought bitterly, it probably _could_, but he wasn't about to think about _why_ it would need to.

The dragon opened Its mouth and growled loudly at the keepers, making them jump back. All the dragons in the cadges stood up instantly, listening to the black dragon. Harry knew instantly that this was the leader of the dragons, the one who could control them if all else failed.

Hagrid looked at the black dragon with a small smile on his face. Harry laughed at him. Of course he would be thinking of that sort of thing! Hagrid just loved dragons. Harry couldn't understand why though. Of all things to love.

"Easy there, bud. It's alright," Harry heard a somewhat familiar voice. He looked around, searching for the source of the voice. He found it, in the one place he _never_ thought he would. Hiccup was sitting on top of the dragon. Harry almost fainted with fright.

Hiccup hopped off the dragon and placed his hand onto his nose. The dragon immediately lifted his head to meet the boy's hand, causing Hiccup to grin. The large beast was practically putty in Hiccup's hands! Harry was shocked, to say the least. Was that what they did to the dragons now? Made them into pets? Harry could feel some sort of resentment towards the treatment, though he couldn't bring himself to hate the boy. He found himself admiring the boy, that he was able to tame such a creature.

"Hiccup! What a nice surprise," 0ne of the keepers said, in anything other than a pleasant voice. Harry found himself disliking the man already, just for talking to Hiccup that way.

Apparently, though, Harry wasn't the only one who was protective over him: the black dragon hissed and curled himself around Hiccup, making it clear that he wasn't going to let them touch him. Hiccup calmed the dragon down instantly, just by talking to him in a hushed voice. Harry knew that this dragon would do anything for Hiccup; it was more than just having him controlled. Hiccup hadn't forced the dragon to do _anything_, it was all free will. This concept was new to Harry, but he liked it. He was proud of Hiccup.

Hiccup turned back to the keepers. "Thought I'd just drop by," he said lightly.

Ron's brother stepped forwards and smiled. "Always a pleasure, Hiccup. But we've already put the dragons to bed," he said, implying very much so that he didn't want Hiccup around. Harry got the sense that the keepers were intimidated by the small, one legged boy. He couldn't help but find it hilarious.

Hiccup shrugged as he looked around at the dragons, all standing tall and watching the black dragon curiously. "Well, it appears to me as though they _aren't_ asleep."

One of the other keepers looked around, as though noticing for the first time that the dragons were all standing tall and awake. He muttered a curse under his breath but looked back to greet Hiccup happily. "Shouldn't be a problem," he said. Harry didn't understand why they disliked Hiccup so much. How could one hate a boy like that anyway?

Hiccup sighed. "Look, I just came to give some fish to Razor Neck, and then we'll be off. So please, let's not get nasty about this? I've had enough to deal with today without you three ruining the rest of it," he snapped, making the dragon hiss at the keepers. Harry wondered how Hiccup had found the dragon, or, more to the point, how they had come to have this relationship. He also realised that he didn't care, just that he hoped the dragon wouldn't get in the way of their own relationship...if there would ever _be_ one.

Charlie laughed and moved aside, giving Hiccup access to one of the cages, the one containing the Horntail. Hiccup smiled and walked forwards. Harry wanted to leap out and tell Hiccup that it was too dangerous, that he should go back and leave the dragon alone, be safe. But he couldn't. He took one step too far already.

The black dragon swivelled his head and his eyes immediately pinned onto Harry's. Harry blinked rapidly, hoping he was imagining it. But no, the black dragon was staring directly at Harry, green eyes locked onto his own. Harry could see a sneer forming on his lips, his teeth showing. He didn't like Harry, that much was clear. Harry moved back slowly, the green eyes following his every movement. Once he was back in the bushes, out of hearing range, the black dragon nodded his head to himself and followed Hiccup.

Hiccup looked at his dragon briefly, before reaching into the saddle bag. The black dragon waited patiently for Hiccup to fish out whatever it was that he needed, not moving. The dragon was quite a nice little creature for Hiccup, but Harry doubted anyone else could control him.

Harry watched as the Horntail leaned forward, sniffing Hiccup's hands. Hiccup pressed the fish forward, into the Horntail's mouth. The dragon sniffed it, making sure that nothing was wrong with it, before dragging it out of his hands and throwing into the air. He caught it and swallowed the fish whole, causing Harry to laugh out loud quietly. It wasn't loud enough for any of the wizards to hear though, of course.

Hiccup laughed and gave the Horntail another piece of fish. The black dragon nudged Hiccup in the back, probably asking for some of his own. Hiccup chuckled and whispered something to him, which Harry couldn't hear from where he was. Harry assumed that the dragon would be receiving some fish later, though, from the happy looks the dragon was sending Hiccup.

The Horntail made a few clicking sounds, before it surprised Harry. In all the time that he'd been watching the dragon, it had been poised and proud, but it lowered down onto the ground, tucking in its legs and covered its head with its large wings. Harry realised that it had just put itself to sleep. Hiccup laughed gently at it, whispering something, then getting onto the black dragon once again.

Hiccup sent the keepers a wave before the dragon shot off into the sky, his wings making the whistling sound which Harry had heard so often before. Well, at least he knew what the sounds were.

Harry decided he'd seen enough. He walked back towards the castle quickly and even more to his Common Room. He knew his friends would have waited up for him, of course. They knew that Harry would be facing _dragons _all along. Of all the creatures to be up against, it had to be _dragons_. How was he supposed to deal with them?

As soon as he reached the Common Room, Hermione and Ron leapt at him, bombarding him with questions. Most of them involved which dragons he liked the most, who he saw, how they acted, what he would do with them. That sort of thing. Hermione did suggest that he ask Hiccup some tips on how to befriend the dragons, but Harry knew that that was _not_ the way that Hiccup dealt with them. He controlled them, nothing more, and nothing less.

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to finish the task, though," Harry mumbled.

Ron and Hermione instantly shut up and looked at their friend, a mixture of emotions running through their eyes. They knew before Harry did, yet they couldn't tell him, and that made them sad. They also felt bad for their friend because they wouldn't be able to help him very much. That really annoyed them.

Hermione put her hand onto Harry's shoulder lightly and smiled reassuringly. "Harry, you've gone up against Voldemort, numerous times, a basilisk and a werewolf. You can handle a _dragon_," she said.

The way she said it did make Harry feel a bit better. He still didn't have a clue as to how he would be able to get past the dragon, though. They were fast and they could see Harry even with the invisibility cloak. Harry shivered as he remembered the blazing green eyes from Hiccup's black dragon. They were scary eyes, that was for sure.

"But what if it's not good enough? What am I supposed to do?" Harry asked.

Ron patted his other shoulder lightly, trying to be supportive – but this was Ron. It didn't work. "What did Mad Eye tell you?"

Harry paused for a moment. He looked up and out the window thoughtfully. "To use what I'm good at," he murmured.

Hermione nodded. "And what are you good at?"

Harry looked around for a moment, not sure what he was. "Flying, Quidditch...um, that's about it."

Hermione nodded. "Right, well, why don't you use your broom to fly past the dragon?" she suggested.

Harry jerked his head up, an idea suddenly popping into his head. "Accio!" he said, louder than he'd intended, and he hoped that none of the other Gryffindors had heard his loud shouts.

Hermione grinned. "Exactly. Looks like we've got our work cut out for us," she said smugly.

Harry grinned too, liking the idea. Though they would have to work, he had a chance. And that was enough for him to be happy.

* * *

Hiccup sighed. It was the morning of the First Task and he wasn't sure how Razor Neck would go. He still wouldn't let the keepers near him. They were preparing the dragons for the arena, attaching the collars and such to them, but leaving them in their cages. Hiccup could only approach the dragon with Toothless behind him, but that made him feel safe, so he didn't mind.

The rest of the Vikings were done and were sitting in the stands to watch the Task. Hiccup was almost done, but he had to stay with the keepers to help switch the dragons over between the turns. He knew that the keepers were doing this to stop him from interfering with the turn, but he couldn't help the way he felt. Dragons shouldn't be treated like this.

Hiccup sat with Toothless as they waited for the announcers. The first dragon was already in the ring, the Swedish Short Snout. Fishlegs had done a fabulous job of training the dragon. He only struck when the attacker made moves towards the egg, rather than just moving to defend himself. Moon Finger was smart in himself, he knew that this was the real deal and that he couldn't mess around as he had been with Fishlegs during training.

Toothless curled up beside Hiccup, allowing him to lean back. Hiccup smiled and leaned against the wings of the dragon, gazing up at the sky. Toothless purred slightly, the sound coming from his throat, as he nudged Hiccup. Hiccup smiled and nodded. "Yep, as soon as the day's over, we are taking a _long flight_," he said, making Toothless give a happy sounding bark.

Hiccup smiled and looked around. None of the keepers were there since they were all too afraid of Toothless, and with good reason. He was a pretty scary dragon when he wanted to be. Toothless could kill from a distance: he had deadly aim.

After a while, Hiccup could hear the sounds of a bell. He knew that now was the real thing. The Tournament had begun. He tried to turn his attention elsewhere, knowing that the dragon in the ring was about to get pounded. Toothless watched his rider, knowing that he was uncomfortable. He gave Hiccup a lick along his side, trying to cheer him up.

Hiccup grinned and tackled the dragon's head into a head lock. Toothless was quick to get out of it and pounced on Hiccup, trapping him beneath his strong legs. He stared into Hiccup's eyes triumphantly and Hiccup gave a groan of surrender. Toothless gave a throaty laugh and hopped up, sitting onto his back legs and giving Hiccup big eyes.

Toothless watched as Hiccup kicked some dirt from the ground at him, then kicked some dirt of his own at Hiccup. The boy laughed and kicked some more dirt, making Toothless flap a wing against the air, sending a mass of dust flying towards Hiccup.

Hiccup coughed and waved the dust away, sending a small glare at Toothless. He always seemed to find a way to win their games. It was just the way they were. But Hiccup didn't mind. He would rather lose to Toothless than beat him, because the one time that had happened, Toothless didn't talk to him for an hour. It was horrible. Not that the dragon talked to him _usually_, but he was more subdued that normal and didn't want to play his usual games with Hiccup. So Hiccup learned quickly that the dragon should win. Not that Hiccup ever could now. The dragon was stronger and wasn't going to let Hiccup win so easily.

There were more sounds from the arena, including a very angry sounding dragon. Toothless grumbled and leant down, covering his ears with his paws. Hiccup sighed and walked towards him, putting his hand on his head reassuringly. Toothless barely made any acknowledgement that Hiccup was there, he was too busy hiding the fact that one of his fellow dragons was in the arena, probably being injured.

"It's alright, bud. The keepers may be idiots, but they won't deliberately injure the dragons," Hiccup said. Toothless opened his previously closed eyes to look at Hiccup. Hiccup smiled gently and nodded, assuring him. Though Hiccup also needed the reassurance, he felt it more necessary to help with the dragon.

One of the keepers, Charlie Weasley, walked out of the arena in search for Hiccup. He wasn't surprised to see that Hiccup was leaning against Toothless, but his irritation was evident. He walked over angrily, a scowl on his face. "We have to change the dragons over. Common Welsh Green next," he said.

Hiccup nodded and hopped to his feet. Toothless stood up and shook his scales, following Hiccup. Grass Glow was waiting patiently in his cage for something to happen. Astrid and Stormfly had explained to him that this was the important day, that after this, he wouldn't have to do much so Grass Glow was prepared to give it his best shot.

Grass Glow was let out, a silver chain the only thing stopping him from moving around. Hiccup attached the silver to Toothless' saddle, having made an attachment for it previously. He had originaly made it to fly Razor Neck, but he'd never gotten the chance. Perhaps after the First Task.

Hiccup walked Grass Glow towards the arena. The dragon huffed proudly, steam bellowing out of his nose. Hiccup smiled and let him walk into the familiar arena of his own accord. He knew what to do. One of the other keepers walked in and took the metal chain, casting a spell so that it would lock.

Once Grass Glow was secured, Hiccup and Toothless went back to a shady patch of grass behind the arena. Toothless sat down, allowing Hiccup to lean up against him. Hiccup sighed heavily and rested his head on Toothless' paw, leaning mainly on the grass, staring up at the sky.

"This competition is stupid," Hiccup muttered.

Toothless made grumbles of agreement. Hiccup laughed at him slightly. Of course Toothless hated the competition, the keepers weren't exactly being nice to his fellow dragons. He also didn't like how _his_ Viking was putting _his_ life on the line for _their_ tournament. It wasn't fair in Toothless's eyes.

"They seemed to be doing an alright job without us," Hiccup said. Toothless gave him a pointed look and Hiccup laughed. "Ok, so maybe they weren't. But did they really need us?" Toothless shook his head thoughtfully, looking up at the sky. "I mean, it's not like they actually _want_ us here. Those keepers are making it clear that they _don't._"

Toothless nudged Hiccup's head, trying to calm him down. Hiccup smiled and gently scratched the dragons head. Toothless mumbled appreciatively, but he knew that Hiccup was still wound up.

Hiccup sighed against Toothless. The dragon leaned against the ground, his eyes watching his Viking warily. He always worried for Hiccup, there were so many things that could go wrong with a person like him. Toothless knew that Hiccup was one of the most poorly designed Vikings, but he still cared for him. He looked after his Viking more than any other dragon did.

The Welsh Green was led back into his cage, much to Hiccup's surprise, fairly clean of wounds. He greeted the dragon and comforted him, calming him down as he settled back into his cage after the round. Toothless watched the exchange from behind, not wanting the scare Grass Glow any more.

Charlie told Hiccup to lead the Chinese Firebolt out next. Hiccup nodded and went to the cage with the large dark dragon. It eyed Hiccup before allowing him to touch him. Hiccup smiled and opened the door, letting the large dragon outside and into the larger area. He waited patiently for Hiccup to grab the chain, before he followed behind carefully.

Despite the trainer of the Firebolt, Fire Starter was pretty well trained. Hiccup had to assume that it was because Snotlout was such a harsh guy on the dragon, he was happy to be in the safe hands of Hiccup. Hiccup could understand that, Snotlout did work his dragons a _bit_ much, but his methods usually worked, especially with Hookfang and his fiery temper.

Charlie and Kingsley took the position and tied Fire Starter to the arena floor. Hiccup watched the dark dragon give one last look towards him, before resuming an attacking stance. Hiccup had to hope that the wizard going against him wouldn't create any lasting wounds, but he knew it was wishful thinking.

Kingsley came walking over to Hiccup after watching some of the round with the Firebolt. His face looked grim, and Hiccup automatically assumed the worst. "Harry's got the Horntail."

Yep, there it is. Hiccup swallowed loudly. Razor Neck was the least trained of all the dragons. He was wild, couldn't care less about where his shots were fired. He would probably love to kill the one reaching for the egg. Hiccup wished that he could give Harry some tips for how to deal with the dragon, but there was nothing that he could do. Nothing to prevent what was to come.

"Can't he swap?" Hiccup asked. Toothless nudged his head under Hiccup's arm, demanding attention, trying to take his Viking's mind off of Harry and the dragon, but it didn't seem to work. Hiccup was worrying about the safety of a _wizard_. This was one of the few things that he never actually thought he would have to deal with.

Kingsley shook his head. "No. its set, once it's drawn out of the hat, that's the dragon that they face," he replied.

Hiccup shivered slightly. This wasn't looking too good for Harry. He walked over to the furious dragon and looked up at him. Razor Neck looked down hotly, his breath coming out in scorching puffs. Hiccup sighed and reached his hand up, trying to get his head down.

Razor Neck crowed loudly and refused, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. He was beginning to get difficult again. Hiccup looked to Toothless for help, but Toothless was too busy hissing at the larger dragon.

Hiccup gently placed a hand on his best friend, telling him that fighting wasn't good. It wasn't going to help, either. Toothless looked to Hiccup, before looking back at Razor Neck. He hissed again and Hiccup sighed.

"Come on, bud. He's not worth it," Hiccup said.

Razor Neck leapt forwards in the cage, barely shuddering the bars, making moves to Hiccup. Hiccup leapt back, slightly fearful, as Razor Neck pounded against the bars, trying to reach the boy.

Toothless jumped up and leapt straight for the bars, hissing and screaming at the dragon contained. Hiccup didn't have the strength to tell him to stop, he was too busy bringing his breathing back to a regular pace. It wasn't every day that he was attacked by a huge dragon such as this one.

Razor Neck leapt for Toothless, hissing and screaming, flaring his brilliant, sharp wings. Toothless was having none of it, snapping his powerful jaws, flaring his own black wings, standing on two legs to get more height.

Hiccup watched Toothless' swing his tail back and forth, his agitation shown through that. Toothless hissed and Hiccup watched in shock as he prepared a plasma blast. He shot the purple blast at the ground, making Razor Neck jump to avoid being hit by the rebounds.

Toothless sneered at Razor Neck and clawed at the bars, to no effect – the bars were enchanted. He hissed angrily and shot another blast at the ground. He was skilfully missing the dragon, still in his conscious mind, knowing that harming this dragon could mean dangerous penalties for his Viking. He still knew that Hiccup was his top priority in this whole thing.

That was the main reason that Toothless was fighting Razor Neck anyway. Because he had threatened Hiccup and that was a no go. Toothless would not allow anyone to touch Hiccup in a bad way, he just wouldn't. He was _his_.

Charlie and Kingsley stormed over to Hiccup angrily. Toothless didn't turn around, his attention still on the fight. Hiccup looked at them, his expression worried.

"Can't you get them to stop?" Charlie demanded, over the noise.

Hiccup shook his head. "They won't listen to me now. They are too deep in their fight," he replied.

Kingsley glared at Hiccup. "Well get them to stop before they end up killing each other."

Hiccup looked at the fight. "He's just protecting me. He knows what will happen if he hurts Razor Neck," he said assumingly. He knew that Toothless would do the right thing. He was a smart dragon.

Charlie glared at Hiccup, then Toothless, then back again. "Well do _something_," he snapped.

Hiccup sighed, but shook his head. "There's nothing I _can_ do. Unless you plan on throwing yourself between the fight, I suggest you wait until he has shown his dominance over Razor Neck," he explained.

Before Hiccup could say anything else, Charlie gripped Hiccup and pulled him close to his body, pinned against him. Hiccup tried to escape, but the wizard held firm around his neck. Hiccup glared out, looking at Toothless. He knew that this was Charlie's way of getting the dragon to stop.

"He's not going to -" Hiccup gasped as Charlie pressed further on his throat, cutting off his air.

Toothless turned around at the sound of his Viking's distressed voice. He narrowed his eyes on Charlie and strode forwards purposefully. Charlie took a few steps back, dragging a wheezing Hiccup with him. Hiccup looked to Toothless with begging eyes, not liking this position at all.

Charlie looked down at Hiccup, the hatred that he'd felt for so long showing in his eyes. Hiccup glared up at him, but he couldn't look directly up or turn, because of the force on his neck. "Perhaps this should teach your _pet_ a lesson," he spat the word 'pet' as though it was vermin, but Hiccup couldn't bring himself to care much.

Toothless, however, did. He growled loudly and crouched into a fighting stance, wings flared, teeth bared, claws outstretched. He flicked his tail behind him and Hiccup knew that Charlie was in for it now and for once, Hiccup didn't want to stop the fight. Charlie deserved it.

Charlie held strong, but his body was shaking just a bit. Hiccup rolled his eyes inwardly, too busy focusing on the fact that it was difficult to breathe. His grip loosened and Hiccup took a deep, much needed breath. Toothless glanced at his Viking briefly before aiming a plasma blast at his head.

Toothless didn't get the chance to actually shoot the blast, as a stream of boiling fire shot past his head and towards Charlie. It missed Hiccup entirely, catching the head of the wizard. Hiccup was released and he fell to the ground heavily.

Hiccup watched as Charlie glared at him, his head dark from the fire remains. He had to laugh, it was pretty funny.

As soon as Hiccup was released, Toothless ran over to him and protectively covered his body with his wing. He looked down with his head to make sure that Hiccup was alright, nudging him with his nose. Hiccup smiled and gave the dragon a rewarding smile.

Hiccup looked around as he stood up. His eyes trailed over to Razor Neck, who wasn't furiously looking at Hiccup, rather at Charlie. Hiccup walked towards Razor Neck and reached his hand tentivly towards him. He knew immediately that this dragon had been the one to shoot the fire at Charlie. He was protecting Hiccup, just as Toothless had been. He felt a sense of pride for the large dragon.

Razor Neck looked down at Hiccup, looking along his body and checking for wounds. Hiccup had to smile, Toothless had already beat him there. He met his hand at the cage, clicking his tongue happily. Hiccup smiled and gave him a scratch behind the chin, just where he could reach.

Jeremy approached Hiccup, for what seemed to be the first time in a long time. He looked apologetic and stopped just near Toothless. He'd met the Night Fury several times, but he hadn't stopped to actually acknowledge him before. Hiccup wasn't surprised, all the three keepers had been assigned a dragon to look after, Charlie just happened to have two. Not that he really looked after Razor Neck at all.

"Sorry about him, he's just a little bit on edge at the moment," Jeremy apologised.

Hiccup shrugged and stepped up next to Toothless. "He was just trying to break up the fight," Toothless grumbled anyway, not liking how his Viking was taking this so lightly. He was just ATTACKED! Surely that warranted _some_ annoyance of his part. But Toothless knew that Hiccup wasn't the one to get angry. Much.

Jeremy shook his head, looking at the Horntail. "Well, we're all under a lot of stress right now."

Hiccup nodded slowly. "I know. Doesn't exactly warrant him to _choke_ me," he added.

Jeremy looked down, ashamed for his fellow keeper. "We're all stressed. Him especially."

Hiccup scoffed. "He's not the one who has to worry about Razor Neck screwing up all the time."

"But he does. Harry's facing him." And just like that, Hiccup paled. He knew that Harry was going to have to face one of the dragons, and he wasn't happy about that, but facing _Razor Neck_? That wasn't a good thing. Firstly, Hiccup couldn't be sure if the dragon would attack wildly without thought, secondly he knew that the dragon wouldn't _stop_ once Harry had gotten the egg.

Hiccup sighed and looked at Toothless briefly. "He's not the only one that's worried, then."

Jeremy shrugged slightly. "His mum is making him take extra care because of Harry. She'll freak when she finds out that Harry's facing the Horntail."

Hiccup hadn't heard of the mum before, but he could tell that she was one of the worrying ones. Hiccup didn't have a mum himself, so he didn't know what it felt like, but his dad was overprotective of him.

"Well, he won't be the only one, I stand by that," Hiccup said, referring to Charlie.

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah. You would be too, I assume. I heard you were friends with him?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, I think so, but I can't be sure. We're close enough for me to be worried about whichever dragon he faced," he explained.

Jeremy gave Hiccup a sideways glance, before saying, "Well, he is a pretty important wizard."

Hiccup didn't question it, he'd heard it before. He just didn't know what Harry had _done_ to make him so famous. It must have been something pretty impressive, with the care that the wizards were giving him, Dumbledore especially. He didn't seem to have many friends, but Hiccup figured that that was his own choice.

Jeremy turned his gaze onto Razor Neck. Hiccup looked up too, hoping with all his energy that he would behave and Harry would come out unscathed. He didn't know what he would do if one of his friends was injured because of his dragon. Well, it might be Harry's fault for entering the Tournament in the _first_ place, but it didn't mean Hiccup wouldn't have felt bad if Harry got himself injured because of it.

"You might want to talk to Charlie," Jeremy said, walking away.

Hiccup glared at his retreating figure. _Talk_ to him? After the way that he just treated him? No way. No _way_. Toothless agreed wholeheartedly. He didn't want his Viking putting himself in any unnecessary danger.

The Firebolt finished his round, and Hiccup sighed. It was time to finally put Razor Neck to the test. Hiccup hoped that he wouldn't do anything rash, anything which could jeopardize the safety of Harry or the wizards around him.

* * *

Harry swallowed nervously as Viktor Krum came through the tent doors and back out to his numerous fans, a golden egg in his hands. It was his turn. He knew which dragon he was facing, the Hungarian Horntail, the fiery dragon which Harry had seen earlier. It still haunted him, and now he was facing it.

There were loud roars, ones that came from the Horntail, Harry assumed. They stopped for a moment and Harry was given the 'go ahead' look from someone in the tent. He didn't recognise the guy, but he knew that he was just here to help make sure the Tournament ran smoothly.

Harry nervously pulled out his wand, his fingers shaking, and stepped into the sunlight. Immediately, the people filling the arena stands clapped and made it known that they were cheering Harry on. He looked around. The field was once used for Quidditch, his favourite sport, but had been turned into a rock field.

He glanced at the centre where a dragon, _the_ dragon, was attached to the ground by a long metal chain attached to his neck. The Horntail hissed at him, catching his eye and baring his teeth. Harry watched warily as the dragon flared his large brown wings in a menacing manner and brought his head up to maximum height, standing on his two legs proudly. He was clearly enjoying not being in the cage, Harry thought bitterly.

The dragon made a sound from the back of his throat, before a red flame was thrown in Harry's direction. Harry barely moved out of the way in time. He grumbled to himself, crouching behind the rock as though his life depended on it. Well, it sort of did.

Harry pulled his wand into a casting position and cast his spell. "_Accio Firebolt_," he said. He didn't know if it worked, but he prayed that it would. He'd been getting pretty good at it, but he wasn't sure if the pressure would get to him and decrease his casting ability.

The dragon made confused sounds, and Harry took this to his advantage. He leapt out from behind the rock quickly and moved to a closer one. He spotted the egg and a plan formed inside his head. He crouched behind the rock, waiting for the dragon to look somewhere else. He hoped that he would, at least.

A whistling sound was heard and Harry looked up. He grinned when he saw that his Firebolt was flying towards him. He reached out his hand and grabbed it as it landed at his feet. He hopped onto it and shot into the air.

The Horntail instantly looked up and aimed his fiery breath at Harry. He darted around, avoiding the flames. He was good on a broom; it was where he felt at home. He could do anything with his trusty...broom. Yeah, that didn't sound great, Harry thought to himself.

In the air, Harry knew he had a shot at defeating the dragon. He eyed the egg and made a quick turn in the air, rushing towards it. The dragon was surprised and moved out of Harry's way.

Harry reached out and missed, his fingers scraping the gold paint of the egg. He groaned and stopped the broom, turning back to face the dragon. This time, the Horntail was prepared as Harry made his swoop for the egg. He stood in front of the egg and shot another blast of fire towards Harry.

Quickly moving away, Harry managed to avoid the blast. The Horntail crowed loudly and screamed at him, flaring his wings and standing over the egg, his wings on either side. Harry groaned to himself, he was just going to make this harder for everyone.

Harry shot towards the egg, trying to make the dragon move, but the Horntail was having none of it. He'd learnt his lesson. Harry was thrown wildly out of control as the Horntail hit him out of the sky with his wing. Harry gained back the control of his broom and was able to keep in the air, for the time being.

Whispers and gasps flowed throughout the arena, worried for Harry. He wasn't able to use any other spells, everyone in the arena knew that he wasn't good enough. Well, most did. There were the few that thought highly enough of Harry to be able to defeat even the toughest of dragons.

Harry made another attempt at the egg. The Horntail blinked, and in that moment, Harry knew he had a chance. He sped up and reached out, grabbing the egg with both hands. He shot as far away from the dragon as fast as he could, climbing into the air. Harry grinned and held up the egg proudly, looking down at the dragon.

The Horntail flicked his tail furiously, but otherwise remained calm. He stayed still on the ground, seeming to realise that he had lost. Harry felt almost bad for him. The treatment mustn't have been very good for the dragon, and he was just in a situation where he felt threatened.

Harry landed on the arena ground, his egg in hand, as he waited for the arena to empty. He was allowed to go straight back to the dorm now, and that was what he planned on doing.

He walked towards the tent again, his broom in one hand and the egg in the other, then went inside. He was instantly engulfed in a hug from Hermione, a pat on the back from Ron and a pleased looking Dumbledore.

"Good work, Harry! You showed that dragon a thing or two!" Ron said happily.

Harry shrugged. "It did a number on me too, though," he said.

Hermione laughed and pulled back to look at him. "Doesn't seem too bad. Come on, let's go get you cleaned up."

Harry followed happily as they walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He knew that his fellow wizards from the house would be inside the room already, but he didn't want to face them. He just wanted to rest and sleep. Too much excitement for one day.

"That was quite the performance, Harry," Ron grinned, his voice showing the awe he felt towards Harry.

Harry looked down, embarrassed. "It was nothing. I just imagined that I was on the field. It was easy that way," he explained.

Hermione nodded. "It would work, I guess."

"Blimey, 'Mione, it _did_ work," Ron said.

Harry laughed. "Guess so."

They started to laugh as they entered the Gryffindor Tower. Harry followed Hermione and Ron up the stairs and towards their room. He wasn't surprised in the slightest when cheers erupted as they entered.

Harry made his way to the stairwell where the rooms were located and waved to everyone. There were groans throughout the room, wanting Harry to stay and chat. Ron and Hermione made their way through the sea of students, telling the others that they should let him rest.

"You can shower him with praises tomorrow," Ron said helpfully.

Laughter filled the room and Harry laughed. "Thanks, Ron. Really _nice_ of you," he said.

Ron rolled his eyes and followed Harry as they went to their room. Hermione waved good bye and disappeared into her own.

The two wizards sat on their beds, conveniently placed next to each other, and Harry started to talk about what he'd seen, not just with the Horntail, but with Hiccup and his black dragon.

Ron started to say something, but held back, trying to let Harry find out on his own. Harry groaned, but understood. It was probably best for Hiccup to tell him anyway. That at least would give him a reason to talk to him, Harry thought happily.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry stared at the ceiling, his mind wandering. Thoughts he never wanted in his head were taking up a position at the front. He'd had another dream, one which had been reoccurring for a few nights now, but he wasn't going to share it with his friends; they already knew the basics.

Ron was already up and dressed for the day. Harry couldn't care less what he had to do, he just wanted to stay inside and away from people. But of course, that would never happen since he had to face the day at _some_ point. And he was hungry. Food would be served soon, he hoped.

It was the weekend now, a long day off. That meant Harry had the whole day to do as he pleased with his friends, and to do absolutely _nothing_ which involved seeing people other than them. He turned around in his bed and sighed as his muscles groaned. He was stiff from his previous days efforts, flying on the broomstick had never seemed so tedious and draining.

Harry stood up and stretched, clicking his joints into place. He proceeded to change into his robes and head into the Common Room. He wasn't surprised to find other Gryffindor students still inside, breakfast not being available for a while. Some looked up and congratulated Harry, others looked too tired to pay attention.

Fred and George Weasley came over to Harry and slapped him on the back, grinning like the fools they were. Harry had to admit, for fools, they were pretty cool. They were Harry's favourite members of the Weasley family, after Ron, of course. Ginny was his favourite sister from the family – she was the only girl. Pretty too, but she wouldn't notice him.

"Great work, Harry!" Fred cheered, his grin infectious and making Harry grin.

"Thanks guys," Harry said.

George laughed. "Have you opened the prize yet?" he asked, leaning in, curiosity taking the better of him.

Harry shook his head. "I'm going to wait for a while," he replied.

The twins both sighed and hung their heads for a moment, before returning to the grin. They could never be mad for long, or disappointed, as the case may be. "Don't forget to tell us what's inside," George said.

Harry nodded. "Of course. When I know what it means, of course."

"Of course," they agreed together, grinning and walking away, a skip in their step.

Harry shook his head, smiling. He liked the twins, they were always fun to talk to. Never a dull moment. And their inventions were pretty handy too, not that he'd really used them to get out of class. Sometimes the pranks had gotten the better of him, though.

Harry found Ron and Hermione sitting in the corner of the room, near the window. They were talking, but not about anything that Harry wasn't allowed to listen to – their voices didn't stop as Harry sat down.

"Morning, Harry," Hermione said as she turned to look at him.

Harry smiled at the two. "Morning, guys."

Ron nodded and said his greetings to his friend. "You feeling alright? You were out like a _light_ last night and still sounded asleep when I woke up."

Harry chuckled lightly. "Yeah, just tired. Still tired now, but feeling better."

Hermione nodded. "That's good, Harry. A good night's rest was probably what you needed anyway."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Playing doctor now are we?" he grinned.

She turned away, embarrassed. Harry put his hand on her shoulder and turned her back around.

"It was a joke, Hermione. Don't worry about it," he said.

She blushed slightly, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "Oh. Of course."

Harry thought her reaction was strange, but said nothing of it. Perhaps she had wanted to become a doctor once, before finding out that she was a witch. Oh well, Harry didn't need to know. She was his friend, he trusted that she would tell him what he needed to know.

Hermione stood up abruptly, her previous embarrassment vanished. "Breakfast. Come on, we'll be late."

Harry grinned and stood up. They headed towards the hall for the meal happily, talking about pretty random things along the way. It was turning out to be a pretty good day, Harry thought.

* * *

Hiccup lounged about in his room the next morning. He'd watched Harry's round and decided that it would be alright to do absolutely _nothing_ for a while. The keepers had claimed the victory of training the dragon, and Hiccup couldn't care less. He was just happy that all of it was over and he could relax for a while, before they would be heading back to Berk.

The other Vikings were doing pretty much the same thing as Hiccup, though they had left the room to go and have some lunch. Yeah, it was that late _already_. And all Hiccup had done in the morning was draw a picture of a lazy dragon. Toothless didn't mind any of it, but he had some ideas concerning flying later. Hiccup wanted to go out as well, but he didn't know if it was a good idea.

Hiccup sighed and leaned against the wall. Toothless lifted his head and looked him in the eye, wondering why he didn't sound happy. Hiccup smiled at Toothless, resting his head against the wall. He was exhausted; all the emotions were getting to him, the late nights of stress, the hard days at work with the dragon, and it was all catching up with him. Toothless seemed to understand, much to Hiccup's happiness, but the other Vikings did not. They had dragons which were _easy_ to train and Hiccup got stuck with Razor Neck.

Toothless hopped up from beside the fire and walked over to the balcony window. Hiccup smiled and pushed himself off the floor, standing and walking towards the dragon. Toothless made some gestures towards the sky, and Hiccup looked at the ground. Everyone _should_ still be eating their lunch or inside…

Without giving himself time to reconsider, Hiccup hopped into the saddle and Toothless took off powerfully into the sky. They played their famous weaving games, shot some of the clouds and glided low above the water of the lake. Hiccup bent down and ran his hand along the water, flicking Toothless with it.

Toothless grumbled and skimmed his good tail wing along the water, scooping it into the wing and then flicking it up at Hiccup. He made satisfied and smug sounds, looking up at Hiccup innocently as he wiped his face clean of the water.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play it?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless merely gave Hiccup the innocent eyes. 'I don't know what you're talking about' it said, making Hiccup laugh.

"Well, I hope you don't mind the cold!" he shouted as he stood up onto the saddle, causing Toothless to give him an odd look, as though wondering what he would do, then it clicked.

Hiccup laughed and jumped off the saddle and into the water. Toothless screamed as he plummeted towards the water and swam instantly back to the surface, using his large wings to stay afloat. He swam over to Hiccup and grumbled at him. Hiccup knew that Toothless didn't like the water, but it was funny to watch.

Toothless swam over to Hiccup, pulling the boy towards him with his front legs. Hiccup laughed and pushed the dragon away, swimming towards the shore. Toothless overtook Hiccup easily and glanced back, a smug twinkle in his green eyes.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and kicked strongly, the cold water starting to take effect. He shivered and looked ahead. Still at least another hundred metres. Hiccup sighed angrily to himself, why did he have to jump off the dragon?_ Genius_.

Toothless pulled himself to shore and shook his scales, water spraying everywhere. He turned around, searching for Hiccup. He spotted him, close to the shore, and sat back on his hind legs, watching his Viking swim wildly in the water. Toothless thought that he looked sort of silly, flailing about in the water as he was.

Hiccup glared at Toothless slightly, pulling himself onto the bank of the river. Toothless gave him a smug, '_you deserved that_' sort of look. Hiccup merely shrugged and rung out the bottom of his clothing. Toothless followed behind Hiccup as they made their way back towards the tower, the Viking in need of a change of clothes.

* * *

Harry sat in the Common Room, his friends the only other two in the room. Everyone else was enjoying the pleasant day outside, it being the weekend and all. Harry kept thinking of the dragon, the large Horntail he'd been facing mere hours ago. His friends were no help either, saying what a great job he did and how cool the dragon looked. Well, the latter came from Ron. Harry knew about his fascination with dragons, but he wasn't about to tell him he knew Hiccup's secret. What if they didn't know? Harry shook his head, of course they knew.

The egg in his lap, Harry stared at it. He hadn't opened it yet, afraid of what was inside. He didn't know what to expect, knowing the last task had involved _dragons_, surely the next task would involve something even more challenging.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Ron asked, looking up at him from his spot on the ground.

Harry shrugged. "Not much," he lied.

Hermione jerked her head up from her book. "You're lying, Harry, I can tell. What's bothering you?" she asked.

Harry sighed. "I just, I don't know how I'm going to make it through the second task," he admitted softly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and put her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, you're a talented wizard. You just need to focus and you'll do fine," she assured him.

Harry nodded slowly, sort of unconvinced. "Thanks, Hermione," he said.

She pat his shoulder consolingly. "Why don't you open the egg?" she asked curiously, looking at the golden egg in Harry's lap.

Harry looked down nervously, the patterns on the egg making him nervous. He looked down at Ron, who gave him a nod, then pressed onto the clasp and twisted. Immediately, the egg opened and a golden glow poured into the room. Harry covered his ears when the egg started to make a horrible screeching sound. His two friends covered their ears and glared at the egg in disgust.

Harry hurried to close the egg back up, wanting the terrible sound gone. He sighed deeply when the sound disappeared and he was able to hear normally again. Hermione looked at the egg in annoyance, whilst Ron gave it a quizzical glance, strange for someone like him.

"Well. That was... interesting," Harry said.

Hermione shook her head, snapping out of her haze, before nodding. "Yeah. There must be a way for it to not shriek like that," she said thoughtfully.

Harry shook his head quickly, ridding his mind of the horrible sound. "Yeah, but we'd better figure it out soon. I would like _some_ warning for the next task," he said pointedly.

"I had no choice! We weren't allowed to share the task with the champions!" Ron snapped.

Harry glanced down at him. "But you could have at least told me what type of challenge it was!"

Their voices were being raised during the argument, much to the point where Hermione couldn't figure out what was worse: the egg or her friends fighting. She sighed and interrupted the conversation before it could go any further. "Guys! We don't need to talk about this! It's done now."

Harry and Ron stopped instantly, looking down, ashamed. "Sorry, Hermione," Harry said.

Ron nodded. "Sorry, 'Mione."

Hermione nodded smugly. She hated her friends arguing in front of her.

"We don't have anything until dinner. Anyone up for a round of Wizard's Chess?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head and lifted her book up, gesturing she would rather just read. Harry nodded and beamed. "So long as my pieces don't try to kill me instead."

Ron laughed and hopped up from the floor. "Well, no promises," he said as they made their way to the chess board on the tables. They both set up their own pieces, Harry's a spare set borrowed from the kit, while Ron used his families. At least they liked him. It wasn't fair that Harry nearly always lost because his pieces would try to turn on him.

Harry sat opposite Ron, the black pieces waiting for his command. Ron grinned at Harry from across the board, the white pieces looking ahead at Harry's in a threatening manner. Harry still couldn't believe that the Wizard Chess pieces were pretty alive. It was pretty cool. Even though they couldn't move without their player telling them where to go, they were still full of attitude.

"Pawn to B5," Ron instructed clearly. Immediately, the white pawn on the _B_ line moved forward two spots and stood still.

Harry looked down at his own pieces. "Knight to H6," he commanded. The black horse and rider moved over the pawn towards the empty spot, above the pawn of lane _H_.

The game continued as such, Ron taking numerous pieces. The first to go was his pawn, then his bishop. Harry took Ron's castle, followed by Ron taking Harry's own castle. Ron then proceeded to put Harry into check, which lost him his Queen. Harry didn't realise that by taking the Queen, he was putting himself into check mate. Yeah. His pieces weren't pleased with him at all. But he could understand it at least, they were all sore losers.

Ron and Harry shook hands, Harry admitting defeat to his friend. Ron grinned. He always won. Harry didn't mind; he just liked watching the pieces destroy each other.

Hermione hopped up from the couch and walked over. She looked at the graveyard of a chess board and then to Ron, giving him a congratulatory smile. "Good work, Ron, as always."

Ron grinned. "Why, thank you," he said.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Should we be getting ready soon?" he asked.

Hermione looked at her watch briefly. "We still have twenty minutes. But yes, then we can get a good seat."

Harry and Ron both gave her a pointed look.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"We sit in the _same_ spot every dinner! It's not like we have anything to worry about," Harry replied, laughing gently.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sure. Anyway, I'm putting my robes on now. You guys should get ready too." Then she disappeared into the girl's dormitory.

Harry glanced at Ron, shrugging briefly, before they too left the room to get changed. Harry didn't realise that their chess game had gone on for such a long amount of time, but apparently, dinner was in twenty minutes.

* * *

Hiccup rested his chin on his hand, his elbow propped against the wooden table in the Great Hall. He and the rest of the Vikings were rather early for dinner, but none of them seemed to mind. Hiccup knew that the wizards would be coming in at the last minute, as seemed to be the gist of things around here.

The other Vikings were all talking about the things that they had done during the day, spending time with their dragons and racing in the Forbidden Forest. Hiccup wasn't about to tell them what he'd done, they'd probably think he was mad, jumping off Toothless into the freezing cold water. Astrid would have given him a stern talking too that was not something he needed.

"We totally beat you!" Snotlout yelled, bringing Hiccup out of his lonely thoughts.

Astrid scoffed. "Sure, and my name isn't Astrid Hofferson."

Snotlout scowled. "We did! Hookfang crossed the finishing line _first_," he insisted.

Fishlegs put his hands up, cutting in. "I saw the whole thing with my own eyes. Stormfly crossed the line first. She won."

Snotlout grumbled. "You're just saying that to get on her good side."

Astrid glared at Snotlout. She reached across the table and punched him, hard. Snotlout rubbed his arm, giving Astrid a look of disbelief, amongst other things.

Hiccup chuckled to himself. His cousin was such a moron sometimes. Yet, he couldn't help but think that Snotlout was a good member of the team, even if he did want to do things his way. His way was also the way that would get them all killed.

Hiccup watched as the hall slowly filled with students. He paid little mind as they sat in their seats, and continued listening to his friends. They had moved on from the race (it was decided that it was a draw) and Astrid wasn't happy, but at least she hadn't lost.

Once the hall was filled, Dumbledore announced the feast _begin_, causing loud chatter to sound throughout the room. The Vikings instantly filled their plates with the food in front of them, pleased with the generous amounts they'd been given. The other wizards didn't eat as much as they did, but then again, they didn't do as much work as they did. Hiccup knew that if even one of the wizards tried to do the work the Vikings did daily, they wouldn't survive. They were too weak, skinny, just bones and it wasn't a good thing.

Snotlout ripped a chunk of lamb off the bone and started chewing it loudly, making smacking sounds as his teeth covered the meet. Astrid glared and shook off the pieces that had landed on her, shooting him death glares. "Oh, sorry, did I get something on you?" he asked, his mouth still full of food.

Astrid smirked and grabbed at her carrots. "No, you didn't," she said before throwing her carrots at Snotlout, hitting him straight in the mouth. She grinned and fist pumped the air.

Carrots. Snotlout's worst nightmare. He _hated_ carrots – loathed them, even – and he'd just inadvertently eaten one.

Snotlout grimaced and proceeded to spit out all his food onto the plate. Astrid laughed and flung another one at him. He dodged, the carrot hitting the ground behind him. "Gross! Ew, ew, ew!" he exclaimed, trying to get the taste off his tongue.

"Now you know how I feel," Astrid smirked.

"Like a carrot?" Ruffnut asked, confused.

Astrid sighed, pointedly shooting her a glare. "Yes. Like a _carrot_."

Tuffnut snickered. "And how do they feel? Seriously, I wanna know."

Astrid rolled her eyes and looked back at Snotlout. "But it's not like I shot food into your mouth!" he protested.

"No. but you showed me what was inside _yours_," she snapped.

He glared at her and tucked a piece of meat in his palm. He lifted it and threw it quickly at her, hitting her on the neck. "Bullseye."

"No, that's lamb," Ruffnut stated matter-of-factly.

Astrid chuckled to herself, pleased with Ruffnut's statement. She wiped the lamb off her neck and threw it back at Snotlout, hitting him in the eye. "Lamb's eye."

"More like moron's eye," Tuffnut snickered.

The twins high fived, laughing at Snotlout's expense. Snotlout scowled at them and flicked some more meat at both of them. This, of course, didn't have the desired effect and Snotlout ducked as a large potato was thrown his way, followed by several other unnamed vegetables. Hiccup ducked and placed his plate in front of him as a shield as his friends started to throw their food at each other.

Astrid scored some good ones at Snotlout, dumping her entire water glass over his head. It was enough to say that Snotlout was drenched to the core. Astrid was sitting back in her seat, laughing. The twins were still throwing things, but now just at each other. Hiccup was not surprised to see Fishlegs leaning as far away from the fight as possible.

Hiccup looked around the room, noticing that many of the students had turned around to watch the Vikings. Hiccup shrugged and turned back to his friends. It was a good thing that he wasn't hungry anymore. There wasn't any food left for him to eat. Shame.

The Vikings settled down, after there was nothing left to throw, and Astrid was done with throwing her water at Snotlout. Hiccup put his plate down and looked at his friends. Astrid had somehow managed to avoid the majority of the food, but her neck and top were splattered with grease stains. The twins looked as though they had bathed in food, numerous stains of different colours covering their clothes and the floor around them. Snotlout looked drenched and the food stuck to his top looked funny.

Hiccup shook his head and looked at the rest of the table. The wizards were still eating, they seemed to take forever to eat. The Vikings finished nearly fifteen minutes before them every day. It was tiring for Hiccup to have to sit there every meal, unable to leave without the headmaster's permission. And there was no way was he going to approach the headmaster and ask to leave early.

Hiccup looked up as he heard the sounds of the hall door opening slowly. He briefly looked out of the corner of his eye, checking who it was, before returning his eyes to the table. He heard gasps and screams throughout the hall, shocked sounds from the students.

Harry and his two friends jumped up from their seats and moved backwards slowly, trying to make slow movements. Hiccup looked up at them, giving them curious looks. They didn't even look at him, their eyes trained on the advancing dragon. Ron had met the dragon before, yet now he seemed so afraid. Hiccup couldn't help but be slightly amused.

Looking over at the Vikings, Astrid was giving Hiccup a disapproving look. The others were all laughing to themselves, something about 'their faces' and Hiccup could only assume they were laughing because of the wizard's reactions. Hiccup had to admit, he predicted panic, but not to this level. Most of the wizards were crowding to the walls and trying not to make any sounds.

Suddenly, Hiccup felt himself pushed to the ground and out of his chair. He faked a groan, only because Toothless had caught his fall. He would made sure that Hiccup wouldn't be hurt too badly.

Screams went around the room as the small Viking was pinned underneath the near black but blue dragon. Hiccup smiled up at the dragon. Toothless looked down, his eyes large, so Hiccup knew that Toothless was in complete control. The other students, of course, did not know. They thought the dragon was attacking Hiccup. That would be a sight to see, Hiccup thought.

Toothless bent down to Hiccup's face and bared his teeth, hissing slightly. Hiccup pretended to be afraid and shuffled along the floor. Toothless predicted this and pressed his front paw onto Hiccup's leg, his metal one of course, to avoid causing him pain.

Hiccup couldn't stop a small grin from rising to his face, but covered it instantly with a scared expression. He hoped that the wizards didn't notice. Knowing how frightened they would be right about now, he didn't think they'd care too much about facial expressions.

Toothless hopped up, flaring his wings and swishing his tail behind him. A moment later, he had Hiccup in his arms, his wings wrapped tightly around his body. Hiccup struggled slightly, keeping up the façade, but it was difficult while laughing. Toothless growled and stalked out of the great hall, Hiccup still tucked under his arms.

As they were leaving the hall, Hiccup could have sworn that he'd heard Malfoy's snickering voice say, "He deserved it." But he took pleasure in knowing that if Toothless had heard, Malfoy wouldn't be alive. Therefore, it probably meant that Hiccup _hadn't_ heard correctly.

Hiccup stayed wrapped in Toothless' wings as he was carried into the courtyard near the Great Hall. It was far enough so Dumbledore wouldn't be able to tell him off, and the students wouldn't be able to see him.

Toothless released Hiccup and watched him, his wings limp by his side and his arms dangling loosely. Hiccup smiled and stood up, shaking the dust and kinks out from his clothes.

"Thanks, bud. That dinner was getting pretty boring," Hiccup said, giving the dragon a scratch behind the ears.

Toothless mumbled his appreciation and rolled his head, getting closer to his Viking. Hiccup chuckled and stepped up to him, rubbing behind Toothless' ears, then moving further to his wings. He knew that he would get itchy; he couldn't scratch very effectively behind his wings. Hiccup had to wonder how Toothless ever survived on his own. The silly dragon relied on Hiccup for a lot of things now.

Hearing sounds, a door opening and footsteps, Hiccup turned. He took a small step back, shocked and worried at who he saw. The headmaster was walking straight towards Hiccup, his stride purposeful and menacing. He stopped close to Hiccup, but not close enough that Toothless would be able to reach him right away.

Toothless curled his tail around Hiccup and bared his teeth, a hissing sound escaping his mouth. With his wings flared and his eyes small, he looked dangerous. Hiccup would have felt worried, but he was secure in the small circle the dragon had created around him.

"That performance was _unacceptable_!" Dumbledore snapped.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "They were going to learn about the dragons somehow," he said, completely at ease. Why shouldn't he be? He had a _Night Fury _protecting him.

Dumbledore glared heavily at Hiccup. "You could have been injured."

Hiccup stood up straight and looked Dumbledore in the eye. "You and I both know you wouldn't have cared about that," his voice was cold, strong, nothing like how he'd been talking to Toothless a moment ago.

The headmaster stood up straight and held his head proud, his eyes firm. "If your _pet_ proves to be dangerous again, I will not come up with any more excuses as to why I let it on my property."

This was news to Hiccup. He perked his head up, his eyes holding the curiosity he felt. However, he also felt disdain and anger for Dumbledore's words. "He is a _he_, a dragon, and not my _pet_," Hiccup spat the word 'pet' as though it were vermin, a curse word. "Haven't you told people that you've been letting the Vikings stay with their dragons? Are you lying to them?" his voice was accusing, holding the accusation he'd wanted to ask for so long.

Dumbledore shook his head, his eyes holding a small glimmer of anger. Hiccup knew he was right. Dumbledore was lying, but not about the dragons. Then what about? "The professors all know now that you have brought your dragons and that they were staying in the tower."

"You should have told them when we first arrived here," Hiccup muttered.

Dumbledore nodded a small nod. "That may be so, young man, but not all the professors can be trusted. If Madam Maxime and Professor Karkaroff knew, they would have surely told their champions, creating an unfair advantage."

Hiccup nodded, understanding the logic. "It still doesn't make sense. What did they think we were doing here, if not helping for the tournament?"

Dumbledore looked away for a moment. Hiccup knew what that meant. He'd lied. Just like he lied to his students, like he'd lied to his fellow professors. Probably to anyone who asked him a probing question. But Hiccup wasn't going to let that stop him.

"You are here to help with the dragons - that is your job here," Dumbledore said at last, his voice forceful.

Hiccup held his tongue for a moment, fearful he'd say something he would regret. Finally, he came up with something. "And we've done it, we've fulfilled our part and the dragons don't need our help anymore. Our village does, though."

Dumbledore smiled, a small, creepy one. Toothless looked at Hiccup briefly before looking back at Dumbledore. "Young man, that may be so, but you are here now, to stay the year. We may have asked you for help with the first task, but now we require your assistance."

Hiccup looked up, his eyes full of worry. Dumbledore had never spoken quite like this. So darkly, as though every word a death sentence. Hiccup knew that for him, it probably was. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"We realised how much we don't know about dragons. We'd like you to teach us. Well, the keepers would anyway," he said dismissively, as though he hadn't just asked Hiccup to give away the secrets of his island, their way of life, everything Hiccup had worked towards. Every piece of information the Vikings had worked so hard to keep a secret, Dumbledore was asking to expose. That was something Hiccup was not prepared to do.

Hiccup shook his head firmly. "I have worked hard to obtain the knowledge I have, it is more beneficial to learn it yourself." Though he didn't care if they ever got the information. He just didn't want them to get _theirs_. Hiccup wouldn't be able to cope if the wizards knew how to ride dragons. The world as they knew it would change forever.

Dumbledore looked grimly at Hiccup. "I don't think you understand, young man. You desert us, you desert the dragons."

"Why should I care?" Hiccup asked, his voice terribly cold. Toothless knew he didn't mean it, Hiccup cared more about the dragons than he would let on. Why else would he be in the horrible wizard school?

"Because if you don't, there is no reason to keep the dragons alive."

Hiccup hung his head and nodded. "Fine."

Toothless growled at Dumbledore and stepped forward, his teeth bared and a harsh, hissing sound escaping his mouth. Dumbledore watched for a moment, realised that Hiccup wasn't going to call him off, and returned to the school with a slight scowl. Hiccup sighed and called Toothless back to him.

"What are we going to do, bud? All our work, everything we've done is down the drain because I care too much," Hiccup mumbled, falling to the ground.

Toothless quickly caught Hiccup on his back, making him sit down. Hiccup smiled weakly at the dragon, sitting on the ground and against the dragon. Toothless looked worriedly at Hiccup, as though something would happen at any moment. He worried for Hiccup too much, he knew that, but at times like these, it paid off.

Hiccup sighed. "I just don't understand how he lives with it..." he whispered, the dragon nodding his head.

He smiled. "Guess nothing a nice flight won't fix." He grinned. Toothless hopped up and Hiccup followed, heading back to the dorm. Hiccup had taken off his saddle, only because he'd planned the whole incident in the Great Hall. What better way to show the wizards that Hiccup knew dragons than a great demonstration of the danger? He had a feeling that people wouldn't mess with him, coming out from the battle unscathed. What would they think if they knew that Toothless was Hiccup's friend? Wary of the dragon, he presumed.

* * *

Harry stared at the door in shock. He knew that Hiccup worked with dragons, he _knew _that. He just didn't think that the dragon would seek out Hiccup and attack him. He could still feel his heart racing, with fear of the dragon and fear for the small boy. Harry didn't know what was worse: facing the dragon for the First Task or seeing Hiccup being attacked by one.

The wizards were dismissed and able to go to bed. The majority of them scrambled out of their hiding places and dashed out of the room. They wouldn't have lasted a minute in the arena with the Horntail. Then again, the Horntail was relatively calm compared to the black beast that had entered their dining hall. What type of dragon would do that? Risk the exposure, the danger, all for one boy?

On their way out, Harry looked up at the dark sky. He heard the familiar whistling and searched for the black dragon. he'd become accustomed to seeing the dragon, since he'd seen Hiccup with the same one when he'd snuck in to see the First Task opponents. That got him thinking: was it the same black dragon in the hall, as the one beside him at the cages? If so, had the dragon changed its mind and tossed Hiccup aside?

"Nice ride." Harry was startled from his puzzled thoughts by Ron. He turned to look at him, and found him following the black dragon's path through the sky.

Hermione nodded. "Fast dragon," she agreed.

Harry followed the dragon's flight. He couldn't tell if there was a rider or not on the dragon, it was too dark and too far for him to tell. He guessed that there wasn't. How could someone as small as Hiccup fly a dragon like _that_? Something slower, maybe.

"What do you think of his performance in the hall?" Ron asked, the dragon going behind some trees.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It wasn't necessary. He could have introduced the dragon to the hall, instead of having everyone cower in fear of him," she said, annoyed.

Harry looked at them, confused. "What?" he asked.

Ron looked to Harry briefly. "Hiccup's dragon – the one that attacked him in the hall – it was a set up."

_That explains some things_, Harry thought, but not everything. Like, why would he have wanted everyone to see the dragon, but not bother to introduce him to them normally? Was he just trying to frighten them?

"It wasn't very nice, he didn't have to scare everyone," Hermione said angrily.

Ron shrugged. "Hiccup needed to prove that he had friends."

"All he proved was that he couldn't hold his own in a fight against a small dragon."

Harry shook his head. "Guys, this isn't worth fighting over."

Hermione sighed. "Harry, I just don't think he went about it the right way. He could have told people, it would have made more sense, and now people are going to be paranoid, afraid that they might be next."

Ron shrugged again, unfazed. Harry knew that Ron had known about Hiccup's dragon for a while. "It's nothing, Hermione, you're looking into it too much."

"I'm not, Ron. What if someone had attacked the dragon? Hiccup would have had no choice but to defend it. Something could have gone seriously wrong," Hermione's voice had gone from annoyed to worried.

Harry sighed. "Hermione, it's not any of our business what the Viking gets up to. He can do whatever he wants with his dragon."

Ron laughed. "That's rich, coming from you," he teased, his voice taunting.

Harry looked at him, surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We've seen the way you look at him, Harry."

"It's the same way you look at Cho Chang," Ron added.

At Cho's name, Harry looked away, his face heating up.

Hermione and Ron chuckled. "Of course, you wouldn't admit to it, would you Harry?" they teased him.

Harry turned away and shook his head. He was glad that the conversation had turned away from Hiccup and his confusing performance in the dinner hall. He still wondered about what it all meant. Was Hiccup trying to show the wizards that he had a dragon, or was he trying to show them how dangerous he was? By the looks of things, very. But Harry knew that it took a lot more than a dragon to scare some wizards.

The whistling returned, but this time lower to the ground. Harry looked up as the black dragon shot straight to the ground, near where Harry himself stood. He stepped back, the air rushing around him as the dragon came to a furious halt.

Now that the dragon was close, Harry could see the rider. Hiccup looked at Harry, a smile on his freckled face. He hopped off the dragon and gave him a scratch behind the ears, something Harry never thought he'd see.

"Hey, guys," Hiccup said, a smile in his voice.

Hermione looked as though she was about to rage about his behaviour, but she held her tongue. Harry was glad for that, and he was sure that Hiccup would have been too.

"Hey, Hiccup. Been for a flight?" Ron asked, curious.

Hiccup nodded, looking at his dragon. "Yeah, Toothless needed it. He deserved it for not breaking the façade earlier."

"Toothless?" Harry spoke up, confused.

Hiccup looked at him. "Yeah." Then he turned to the dragon and gestured his arms. "Harry, this is Toothless. He's my best friend, the first dragon to be trained – if you can call him that – and the only Night Fury," he introduced.

'Toothless' looked at Harry, his eyes big and curious. Harry smiled weakly at the dragon. He looked powerful, strong, but he didn't seem dangerous, not around Hiccup. Not like he had in the hall. He realised the dragon was different around Hiccup, that he'd never hurt his rider. For whatever reason, there was a bond there.

Hiccup looked up at the golden trio. "So, what are you three doing out here, anyway?" he asked.

Hermione looked around. She'd been caught, though not by a teacher. The feeling was still unpleasant. "We were just taking a walk. Calming down. You scared the _entire hall_!" she said loudly.

Here we go again, Harry thought angrily to himself.

Hiccup sighed. "The idea wasn't to scare people," he shared a look with his dragon which told Harry that it _had_ been part of the plan, "but simply to show them that we have dragons. Maybe now they'll take us seriously." He had said the last part bitterly, and Harry's mind went to Malfoy.

Hermione frowned. "Well, you've got their attention now. They think that you were being attacked! What better way to show how weak you are than to have a small dragon like yours tackle you without a fight?"

Hiccup looked at her, his eyes startled, yet his face passive. "That wasn't the idea," he said, his voice quiet. The dragon lifted his head towards him, his eyes round and large. Harry assumed the dragon was doing something to consolidate him.

"Well, whatever your intention was, Hiccup, I don't think it worked," Hermione said, lacing her words with anger.

Ron looked at her, confused. "Geez, 'Mione, what's gotten into you?"

Hermione glared at Ron for a moment before sighing. "Sorry, Hiccup. I'm just...concerned, is all," she mumbled.

Hiccup shrugged. "I copped it from Astrid already, so I don't mind. You apologised though," he said, a grin on his face. Harry thought that it must be something he was remembering, possibly about Astrid. Were they together or something?

Hermione smiled. "Well, she should. Its impolite not to," she said, matter-of-factly.

Ron and Harry both laughed. "Only you, Hermione," Harry teased.

She sent them a small frown, before turning her attention to Hiccup. Harry rolled his eyes and looked back to the Viking. The small dragon was still wary of the wizards, but Harry was more so. He didn't like the look of the dragon. Remembering the way he had stared him down, making him move away from the dragons at the site, it still sent shivers down his spine.

Hiccup stepped back and the dragon moved forward to meet him. Harry watched the two. They were so in sync, as though they knew everything the other would do before they did it. Harry was in awe of their bond. He had to wonder whether Hiccup was in control, or were they friends? It seemed crazy, but with everything that he'd witnessed, it was a possibility.

"You off?" Ron asked, sadness in his voice.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. Toothless would probably like some dinner and a bit of a night flight," he replied. "Shouldn't you be in your dorms by now, anyway?"

Hermione looked at her watch and groaned. "Yeah, it's past curfew," she was annoyed, she hated being late back to the dorm since it meant they could be caught by Filch.

Hiccup grinned. "Well, I'll see you all tomorrow, then." He mounted the dragon and shot off into the sky, effortlessly taking flight.

Harry whistled lowly, in awe of the dragon's skill. How was it able to do all that? It was so small, yet Harry could tell the dragon was dangerous. Deadly, even. Why would anyone dare to challenge such a being?

Hermione hurried the three around and walked briskly to their dorm, making sure to keep her footsteps light to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Harry followed behind silently, not wanting to be caught either. It would be the last thing he needed; more attention.

Once inside, Hermione let out a breath. People in the room stared at her, thinking she was crazy. They knew who she was, the goody-two shoes. Harry chuckled internally. They didn't know half the things she did when they weren't around. Sneaking around the corridors, outside, helping Harry into town when he shouldn't have been. She wasn't the model student she liked to think she was.

"Night, Harry," Hermione said, ducking away through the crowd and towards the girl's dorm. Ron looked at Harry and they both agreed: time for bed.

The two went to their own dorm and removed their robes. They changed into comfortable sleepwear and shut their lamps off. Harry removed his glasses and closed his eyes, getting comfortable.


End file.
